Companions and fans of the “Kaiser” experience poignant moments when Franz Beckenbauer says goodbye. Tens of thousands will be at the memorial service on Friday (3 p.m.) in the Munich Arena, and even more people will be watching on television. “It was a great joy and a great honor to play alongside him,” said Paul Breitner, who will take part in the memorial service as one of many companions.
In addition to Breitner and honorary president Uli Hoeneß, the 1974 soccer world champions include Günter Netzer, Wolfgang Overath and Rainer Bonhof in the stadium. Hoeneß will speak about the life and work of the “Kaiser”. As did Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder and club president Herbert Hainer. “Franz was more important than almost anyone, not only for FC Bayern Munich, but also for German football and world football,” said Hainer.
An hour before the start of the memorial service, which was attended by many football celebrities and representatives from abroad, brass bands played and the Tölzer Boys’ Choir sang. Wreaths will be laid to commemorate Beckenbauer, who died on January 7th at the age of 78. “We now have a time of mourning,” said long-time Munich CEO and former teammate Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “We will miss him very much and we will never forget him,” said Söder.
Watch the video: Beckenbauer biographer reveals how the “Kaiser” revolutionized football.
After three songs by the Munich-born star tenor Jonas Kaufmann during the memorial service, it is planned that the Beckenbauer song “Good Friends” will be sung together in the stadium towards the end.
The arena can accommodate around 50,000 visitors. Due to special structures for the event, the normal capacity of 75,000 spectators will be reduced. People who come to the arena at short notice should also have the opportunity to say goodbye to the “Emperor”.
The response to the condolence books on Säbener Straße and in the FC Bayern Museum is currently huge. Due to the large number of entries, they had to be replaced several times. You also have the opportunity to register here until January 31st. Over 20,000 people have already taken the opportunity to say goodbye in FC Bayern’s digital condolence book. You can leave personal messages there until January 31st.
