Comedian Matze Knop is unsure whether he will continue to parody Franz Beckenbauer even after his death. “Now we have to let some time pass,” the 49-year-old told dpa. Colleague Max Giermann also parodies “Klaus Kinski and others who are no longer with us. But I think it’s a nice gesture for now to say: Let’s take a little break.” It is not certain whether there will be Beckenbauer parodies again at a later date. “Maybe,” said Knop: “We’ll see about that then.”
Along with Dieter Bohlen, Beckenbauer was one of the comedian’s signature roles, who appeared moved via Instagram shortly after Beckenbauer’s death on January 7th. “Without you, I wouldn’t be who I am professionally today. Thank you, dear Franz!” he wrote. Knop now said he was still “very sad”: “He was a really likeable person. I can say that because I was able to get to know him personally.”
Knop finds it annoying that Beckenbauer’s reputation has suffered as a result of the “Summer Fairy Tale Affair” in recent years. “I don’t like it at all that we always try to denigrate our own icons,” he said: “The man doesn’t deserve that. We should recognize him for his sporting achievements and what great things he has done for our country.” Beckenbauer played a key role in ensuring that the 2006 World Cup was played in Germany – but later revelations in connection with the award cast a shadow over the tournament and Beckenbauer’s role.
