Captain, coach, president, icon – Franz Beckenbauer is and remains the greatest of all Bavarians. He would've been 80 years old on 11 September. Some of those he influenced along the way reflect on "their" Franz. What was their experience of him?
Philipp Lahm
“No matter what Franz did, whether it was on or off the pitch, he always looked light-footed. He embodied lightness and perfection – worthy of a Kaiser. Unfortunately I’m too young to have seen him on the pitch myself, but I’ve watched videos and I find he was ahead of his time as a footballer. He always had the ball perfectly at his feet, always had his head up. As the libero he was the playmaker. That was new. I later got to know him as president and the organiser of the 2006 World Cup. You happily listened to him. If you paid attention, he imparted something in everything he said. I always found that very impressive.”
Franck Ribéry
“When I met Franz Beckenbauer and spoke to him – whether it was in the stadium, at a banquet or at Säbener Straße – it was always a nice moment. But of course, he was also an authority who you respected. Franz was just a special person and hugely significant for Bayern and the whole football world. He was the Kaiser. We call him that in France too. You always got the sense he’d played the game himself for a long time. He knew exactly how football works. For all his ambition, it was also important to him that you never forgot to have fun and laugh together. He once said to me: ‘We’re all happy that you’re at Bayern, Franck. We’re your family, you’re at home with us.’ If I needed something, I could always talk to him. It was a nice feeling to know that the Kaiser had my back.”
Mark van Bommel
“With Franz Beckenbauer, the first thing we Dutch think of is the 1974 World Cup final. Gerd Müller up front and Franz directing play. The football rivalry between Germany and Holland still exists today. Not every German footballer was or is popular in Holland, but everyone in Holland always liked Franz. He was such a great player but kept both feet on the ground. I grew up very close to the German-Dutch border, not far from Cologne and Gladbach. My mum supported Gladbach, my dad Köln – and I always supported Bayern. I even had a Bayern sticker on my bedside table. Franz Beckenbauer, Uli Hoeneß and Kalle Rummenigge – for me they were FC Bayern. Getting to know and experience Franz later on was something special. I had huge respect. Franz had a natural authority, but at the same time he was always pleasant company. You immediately felt comfortable with him.”
Raimond Aumann
“Franz Beckenbauer was an extraordinary player, an extraordinary coach and an extraordinary man. A shining light. There’ll never be another like him. The 1990 World Cup title will bind us forever. He was very meticulous as a coach. He studied every opponent in fine detail, whether it was for the national team or in the Bundesliga. Things always looked relaxed with him but you shouldn’t be fooled by that. If things didn’t go to plan, he could be different – then he could get really angry. And most of the time he was right. Franz could get to the heart of the matter; you believed everything he said, even when he criticised you. He had a gift that not many people have, an aura. Franz was the greatest personality in German football.”
Claudio Pizarro
“Franz Beckenbauer was president when I came to Bayern – for me he was a superstar. I knew everything he’d achieved, his services to FC Bayern, Germany and football. When I signed my first contract in Munich, he was there, which was an honour for me. And then I got to know him personally. He was so relaxed all the time! But you also knew: you have to work hard and be fully committed on the pitch. That was important to him. Franz was ahead of his time as a player, and then he passed on his experience and his vision to the game. I always listened to him very attentively, you could learn so much from him. Franz was the Kaiser. That's also how everyone at home in Peru knows and refers to him.”
Paulo Sergio
“I once scored a goal in the derby against 1860 – I’ll never forget how Franz Beckenbauer celebrated in the stands at the Olympiastadion. I watched it later on TV. Of course, scoring against 1860 was always special but his tremendous joy touched me. Winning games, winning titles – that was always the most important thing to Franz. And we did that during my time at Bayern. We won the Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup, after 25 years! And we were German champions twice – once just ahead of Leverkusen, and once narrowly ahead of Schalke. So, we did pretty well, luckily. Because when I was at Leverkusen, I’d also heard that Franz could get really angry. That was when things weren’t going as well in Munich under Trapattoni. For many people at home in Brazil, Franz Beckenbauer is second only to Pelé. Not just because he was a great footballer – Franz was always a gentleman too, he knew how to treat people. He was a superstar and yet he always seemed completely normal. That’s what people liked about him.”
Arjen Robben
“Der Kaiser – the nickname says everything. Franz Beckenbauer was the greatest personality in German football. His aura, his presence – incomparable! I’m part of a generation that experienced Franz when he was no longer on the front line at Bayern, but obviously our paths crossed frequently. When you saw him in the stadium or at a banquet, you thought: that’s Mr Beckenbauer, how smart and elegant he looks again. You were full of respect and admiration. Argentina has Maradona, Brazil has Pelé, Holland has Cruyff – and Germany has Beckenbauer. That’s simply the first name that comes to mind when you talk about football in Germany.”
This article comes from the current September edition of club magazine ‘51’:
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