Buried in the family grave
Franz Beckenbauer has found his final resting place
January 12, 2024, 6:28 p.m
“A time of mourning”: Franz Beckenbauer was buried quietly and in the closest family circle. His final resting place is in Munich, at his parents’ side. Plans for the “Emperor’s” memorial service are currently in full swing.
A sea of flowers on the coffin, bright white fresh snow on the surrounding trees: Franz Beckenbauer was buried quietly and in the closest family circle at Munich’s Perlacher Forst cemetery. According to “Bild” information, the football legend found his final resting place in the family grave next to his parents Antonie and Franz.
Beckenbauer died last Sunday at the age of 78. The home game of record champions Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena in the evening against TSG Hoffenheim will be dedicated to remembering the emperor, and the memorial ceremony planned for next Friday (3 p.m./ARD) is also taking shape.
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz has already confirmed his participation. As a government spokeswoman said, the Chancellor wanted to “show his great respect and recognition for an outstanding athlete in our country.” The funeral service will also take place in the Munich Arena, which is still being renamed in honor of Beckenbauer.
Rummenigge: “Now is the time of mourning”
However, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is keeping a low profile on this topic. “There is an agreement with our long-standing, loyal and very serious partner Allianz, and that must be respected,” said the long-time CEO of FC Bayern to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”.
“Franz Beckenbauer died a few days ago,” Rummenigge continued: “Now is the time of mourning, and FC Bayern will host a worthy memorial service in Franz’s honor next Friday. We should take time for everything else.” An alternative could be a renaming, at least for the European Championships in the summer, when sponsor names are prohibited.
Matthias Sammer, European champion in 1996, would clearly support such an honor. “It’s actually impossible to outweigh all the things that should be named after him,” the 56-year-old told the news portal t-online. “What he achieved, his life’s work, must be remembered and his legacy must be passed on to the next generations,” said Sammer, for whom the emperor “was a role model in its entirety.”
All Bayern professionals with number 5
However, Sammer does not agree with Beckenbauer’s handling of the “Summer Fairy Tale Affair”, which has never been fully clarified. “That hurts me very, very much,” Sammer admitted: “I find it unworthy and I’m a bit ashamed of what we, this entire country and our media, have done to him.” They knew exactly which corrupt system and what requirements he would have to deal with.
Bayern’s home game against Hoffenheim, on the other hand, will once again be a big celebration of Beckenbauer’s life’s work: all Bayern professionals warm up with the iconic number 5 and wear a special jersey with the inscription “Thank you Franz” during the game. After the game, the shirts will be signed and auctioned off. All proceeds will benefit the Franz Beckenbauer Foundation.
FC Bayern also invited numerous of the Emperor’s companions to the game. The Allianz Arena has been shining with the words “Thank you Franz” for several days now.