As Franz Beckenbauer celebrated his 75th birthday, Bayern Munich also took the opportunity to congratulate and thank the great man. On Saturday, the day after his landmark, the Kaiser visited the FC Bayern Museum to officially open the new KAISER 75 special exhibition. A small group of family, friends and companions gave the former Bayern player, coach and president three cheers.
“We at FC Bayern are grateful that we were able to have the greatest player Germany has ever produced. We’re grateful for the great job you did as president. We’re grateful to you for the fact we have the Allianz Arena. We’re grateful that we met a person who is among the most noble I know,” said honorary president Uli Hoeneß, who won the World Cup and three European Cups alongside Beckenbauer as a player. FC Bayern München AG CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge also added, “FC Bayern has been lucky enough to have been kissed by the muse of success for 50 years, and those 50 years clearly bear the name of Franz Beckenbauer.”
The 40 guests eagerly followed the welcome and laudation about Beckenbauer’s eventful and moving life. There were video greetings to the Kaiser from all over the world, from the likes of Pele, Uwe Seeler and Dino Zoff. Together with FC Bayern München eV president Herbert Hainer and his long-time companion Günter Netzer, the birthday boy talked about many unforgettable moments. Hainer concluded with the words: “Franz is a person who brings light and joy into a room, who is incredibly polite, helpful and courteous. These values can also be felt every day at FC Bayern. The admiration for him is incredibly great.”
KAISER 75 open for a year
The setting and guestlist had been deliberately kept small due to the current hygiene regulations, but Beckenbauer was visibly moved by the congratulations, gifts and the very personal special exhibit designed in his honour. In particular, the exclusive exhibition film, in which brothers Franz and Walter Beckenbauer appear, produced great emotion. It sheds light on the 75-year-old’s success, but also on the difficult recent years in which the Kaiser suffered with health issues and had to cope with the untimely death of his son Stephan.
Together, the guests indulged themselves in the lovingly selected exhibits and anecdotes from numerous companions, which offer a detailed insight into the impressive work of the footballing icon. Beckenbauer, who provided the exhibits himself from his own collection, said after the first tour: “I’d like to thank all of those involved at FC Bayern who came up with the idea of organising this day for me. I’m still fascinated by the images. I feel transported back to all the decades in which I was at FC Bayern.”
In addition to his sporting achievements, KAISER 75 also focuses on Beckenbauer the person behind the former football star. It looks at his childhood in the Munich suburb of Giesing, his life in the USA, his time with Bayern and also his everyday life in Salzburg today. The exhibit stretches across large parts of the FC Bayern Museum and can now be visited for the coming year.