FC Bayern, together with the Kurt Landauer Foundation, has unveiled a statue in honour of Gerd Müller. The sculpture by artist Karel Fron, which honours the most successful striker in the history of the German record champions as well as German football in general, is located on the esplanade of the Allianz Arena. The charity organised the financing using donations from FC Bayern fans and fan clubs. Uli Hoeneß gave the official speech on his one-time strike partner at the unveiling event. “At FC Bayern we must always protect what was and what is,” said the honorary president in front of around 220 invited guests, including Uschi Müller and many former companions of the legendary striker like supervisory board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “Gerd was an unbelievable player – and a great person who we’ll never forget. Today is a dignified day to remember him. He and Franz Beckenbauer are the icons that FC Bayern produced.” Müller, FC Bayern’s record goalscorer with 568 goals in 611 competitive appearances, World Cup winner in 1974 and three-time winner of the European Cup, died in August 2021 at the age of 75.
Uli Hoeneß gives a speech at the unveiling of the statue for Gerd Müller.
Herbert Hainer, president of FC Bayern: “We are very proud that this statue in honour of Gerd Müller has been initiated by the Kurt Landauer Foundation and realised together with the FC Bayern fans and fan clubs. Visitors to the Allianz Arena will now always have Gerd Müller in their sights, bringing to life the memory of this unique person and goalscorer at every FC Bayern home match. Gerd Müller never acted with airs and graces, even though he was one of the very greatest. He set standards in the world of strikers.”
Jan-Christian Dreesen, CEO of FC Bayern: “I’d like to sincerely thank the Kurt Landauer Foundation and all the fans and fan clubs of FC Bayern for making this project a reality. Gerd Müller was always a player who the fans particularly loved, who was one for all throughout his life: deeply down-to-earth, despite his extraordinary successes. It is therefore a wonderful sign that the fans are giving him a memorial. Gerd Müller will forever be an inspiration for our club across the generations.”
Among the guests were Gerd Müller's widow Uschi, Uli Hoeneß, Herbert Hainer, Jan-Christian Dreesen and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
Christian Kröll, Kurt Landauer Foundation: “We thank from the bottom of our hearts all the fans and fan clubs, whose generous donations have been instrumental in making this project possible in the first place. Together we’ve created something special for the special Gerd Müller – the first monument for an FC Bayern player in Munich! Right in front of our Arena, so that he shines in front of the eyes of tens of thousands of fans and members of FC Bayern at every home game, his shadow has a positive effect on today's world, countless souvenir photos are taken with Gerd Müller and his life's work is passed on to future generations.”
Numerous former teammates and companions attended the unveiling.
As well as president Hainer, vice presidents Professor Dr Dieter Mayer and Walter Mennekes, and board members Jan-Christian Dreesen and Michael Diederich, representatives from the fan scene and numerous former teammates and FCB legends were at the unveiling ceremony, including, from FC Bayern: Rummenigge, Sepp Maier, Paul Breitner, Franz “Bulle” Roth, Peter Kupferschmidt, Sepp Weiß, Edgar Schneider, Bernd Dürnberger, Jakob Drescher, Rainer Zobel, Klaus Augenthaler, Dieter Hoeneß, Raimond Aumann, Hansi Pflügler and Roland Wohlfarth, as well as former national teammates Rainer Bonhof and Berti Vogts. Karl Hopfner, chairman of FC Bayern Hilfe eV, and honorary presidents Bernd Rauch and Fritz Scherer were also in attendance, plus representatives of the honorary board including Heiner Jüngling, the current FCB member number 1, Georg Bogeschdorfer and Ludwig Landerer.
The bronze statue, which is one and a half times life size, measures a total of 4.2 metres on its Bayern rhombus base and weighs around one tonne. It shows Müller in his unique celebration pose. The Kurt Landauer Foundation had collected donations under the motto "Monument to Gerd" in order to give lasting expression to the fans' appreciation of the iconic striker.
The story of the statue's creation:
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