Germany said goodbye to Franz Beckenbauer this Friday in a tribute organized by Bayern at the Allianz Arena with the participation of the German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the cardinal of Munich, Rainhard Marx, who transmitted a message from Pope Francis, and old colleagues on the way.
The official part of the ceremony began with an aria sung by tenor Jonas Kaufmann while celebrities from the world of football - several world champions from the German national teams in 1974, 1990 and 2014 - brought floral offerings to the central circle, where there was a portrait giant of the "Kaiser".
The first speech was from the current president of Bayern, Herbert Hainer. "Franz was a friend to everyone from the bottom of his heart," he said.
"I'm sure he would have been happy to see so many people in the stadium, but then he would have asked: have you really all come for me? He would also have said that it wasn't necessary," he added.
Hoffmann then sang again before Steinmeier took the floor as the highest representative of the German State and remembered Beckenbauer as "a natural diplomatic talent and as the most beloved ambassador Germany has ever had."
"I don't know if the angels in heaven play sports. But I know that in recent days they have heard a voice with a Bavarian accent all the time telling them: play football," said the German president.
"Go out and play football," is the phrase Beckenbauer is supposed to have told the players of the 1990 national team before the final against Argentina.
After a short film that reviewed Beckenbauer's life, the Bavarian Prime Minister, Markus Söder, took the floor and recalled how Beckenbauer had fascinated several generations as a player, as a coach and also as a manager.
"My father admired the player, I admired the coach. He was not the first to win a World Cup as a player or as a coach. But he was the only one who has also managed to host a world championship for his country," Söder stressed.
The next speaker was Uli Hoeness, honorary president of Bayern and Beckenbauer's teammate in both club and country.
"During the 1966 World Cup I saw Franz on television in Germany's matches against Spain and against Argentina. I was a youth player and I thought it would be nice to play with him. Four years later I signed with Bayern," he said.
Hoeness also recalled that when he didn't know what to do with the ball he always looked for Beckenbauer. "I knew I was safe with him," he said.
"Bayern grew with Franz. He continued to grow but never forgot where he came from. And this stadium would not have been built if he had not brought the 2006 World Cup to Germany. Only because of him do we now have the most modern stadiums in the world," he commented. .
Hoeness also recalled the atmosphere in 2006 when the country was filled with joy and pride at the World Cup. "I think we should get that spirit back, be proud of who we are again," he said.
He then stated that he wanted to clarify that in this process of recovering pride he did not want to include the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
At the beginning and end of the ceremony a choir sang "Gute Freunde kann niemand trennen" (No one can separate good friends), a hymn from the 1970s that is identified with Beckenbauer.
The final part ended with an intervention by the Cardinal of Munich, Reinhard Marx, who gave a prayer and told those present that he had just had an email communication with Pope Francis who, he added, was "united in prayer with the Allianz Arena ".
In general all the speakers remembered Beckenbauer's iconic images. His walk through the center of the field in silence after the 1990 final while others celebrated, his arm in a sling during the semifinal against Italy in 1970 or his usual way of playing looking at teammates and opponents and never at the ball because, Steinmeier said, He knew that she obeyed him.
In the gallery where the speakers were there were several photographs showing the young Beckenbauer in his early days at Bayern, Beckenbauer captain of the 1974 world champion team and Beckenbauer already mature, with the red jacket that identifies the legends of the Bayern.
