January 10 – Bayern Munich will stage a commemoration of the German great and club legend Franz Beckenbauer at the Allianz Arena on January 19 so that supporters can take part in the farewell, the club announced on Wednesday.
“FC Bayern will hold a large memorial service for Franz Beckenbauer at his Allianz Arena on Friday 19 January from 15:00 CET,” the club said.
“The German record champions invite friends and companions from national and international sport, culture and politics as well as general fans and the entire football family to bid farewell to the unforgettable ‘Kaiser’ in a special, emotional setting.”
“At the centre of the service is the memory of Franz Beckenbauer, who moved and inspired football fans all over the world – far beyond the pitch,” said Bayern.
“The communal ceremony at FC Bayern’s stadium is intended to create an opportunity to honour Franz Beckenbauer in the environment in which he reached people’s hearts in a unique way: on the football pitch.”
Bayern Munich lit up their Allianz Arena stadium in honour of Beckenbauer, who died on Sunday at the age of 78.
Beckenbauer is widely considered the best German footballer of all time and often features in lists of best players of all time.
He won the World Cup in 1974 and then as a coach in 1990. He played 103 times for West Germany and is one of only three men to have lifted the World Cup as both a player and a manager, along with Brazil’s Mario Zagallo and France’s Didier Deschamps.
At Bayern, he won three consecutive European Cups from 1974-76.
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