Meeting of the 1990 World Champions
Beckenbauer is missing for health reasons
07/09/2023, 3:30 p.m
The 1990 world champions meet to commemorate the great success of 33 years ago. However, the team boss from back then is not there: Franz Beckenbauer has to pass for health reasons.
Exactly 33 years ago to the day, they became world champions, the German footballers. For the anniversary on Saturday, July 8th, the German national team met at Chiemsee. The meeting was initiated and organized by Heidi Beckenbauer, her husband Franz was team manager for the German Football Association at the time. The pictures of his walk on the lawn of the Olympic Stadium in Rome after the 1-0 win in the final against Argentina are among the most well-known in German sporting history – but the 77-year-old was absent from the reunion at Chiemsee.
Health reasons are given for this without naming them in more detail. However, the former world-class footballer has largely withdrawn from the public for a long time, also because of those health restrictions. At the turn of the year, for example, Beckenbauer decided not to travel to the funeral of the Brazilian icon Pelé, who died at the end of 2022 after a long and serious illness. “I would like to do it, but unfortunately my health does not allow such a long flight,” said the 1972 European Champion and 1974 World Champion in a public statement that has become rare.
At the end of last year, Beckenbauer also gave an insight into his condition. “The last time I was in a stadium was a year ago. You know, that’s pretty exhausting,” he told the magazine “Bunte” at the time, and “everyone asks me how I’m doing, and then I have to do the same to everyone say.” According to Beckenbauer, he suffered “a so-called eye attack” in one eye. “Unfortunately, I can’t see anything on the right anymore. I can deal with that. And I have to be careful with my heart.” The former Bayern Munich star has been suffering from heart problems since 2016 and has had three bypasses since then.
19 players from the squad from 1990 had gathered in Grassau am Chiemsee. In addition to team boss Beckenbauer, only Bodo Illgner, Jürgen Kohler and Günter Hermann were missing from those who were active at the time. The title holders from the world tournament in Italy wish the current German national team to build on the successes of the past at the home European Championships next year. “We have to succeed in forming a strong team from the many good players we have. Then the fans will get involved again,” said former world footballer Lothar Matthäus.