👏🏽 Bayern unveil statue of German legend Franz Beckenbauer | OneFootball

Bayern Munich unveiled a bronze statue of Franz Beckenbauer, the eternal "Kaiser", on Friday (12).

The German football legend as an athlete, coach, and director passed away on January 7, 2024, at the age of 78. He would have turned 80 on Thursday (11).

The statue is located on the esplanade of the Allianz Arena, a stadium built during Beckenbauer's tenure as club president.

It stands next to another legend: former striker Gerd Müller, who passed away on August 15, 2021.

The statue shows Beckenbauer wearing a Bayern shirt from the early 1970s with the number 5 on the back. It is the creation of artist Matilde Romagnoli.

"This monument is a piece of FC Bayern's DNA, cast in bronze. It represents Beckenbauer and everything he embodied: style, attitude, Bayern" - said Herbert Hainer, club president.

One of the greatest defenders in football history, he played 584 matches with Bayern, scoring 75 goals and contributing 75 assists.

He won three European Champions Cups, four German Championships, and four DFB Pokal.

He also won the national championship with Hamburg after playing for the New York Cosmos - and being Pelé's teammate in the USA.

Considered one of the pioneers in the sweeper position, he also made his mark on the German national team. After the runner-up in the 1966 World Cup and third place in 1970, he made a difference in the 1974 title. He also won the European Championship in 1972.

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He was the only defender to be voted the best player in the world twice, winning the Ballon d'Or in 1972 and 1976.

He also made history as a coach. He led Germany to the 1990 World Cup title and also won the French championship with Marseille and the German Cup with Bayern.

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Beckenbauer's tenure as Bayern president was from 1994 to 2009. He was also vice president of the German federation and played a key role in the country winning the bid to host the 2006 World Cup.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.