Berlin, April 22, 2024, The Europe Today: The late German football legend Franz Beckenbauer will be honored with a statue placed prominently in front of Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena, as announced by a club supporters foundation on Sunday.
The statue, dedicated to the iconic player and coach affectionately known as “der Kaiser” (the Emperor), will depict Beckenbauer in a bronze sculpture capturing his role as the conductor of the game. Positioned on a pedestal shaped like the rhombus from the Bavarian flag, the statue aims to pay tribute to Beckenbauer’s profound impact on football and Bayern Munich.
Franz Beckenbauer, revered as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, passed away in January in Salzburg and was laid to rest in a cemetery near Munich, close to his childhood home.
This forthcoming statue of Beckenbauer will join that of his former teammate and Bayern Munich striker Gerd Müller, which was unveiled in September. Gerd Müller, who holds the record for the most goals scored in Bundesliga history, passed away in August 2021 at the age of 75.
Christian Kröll from the Kurt Landauer Foundation, responsible for the project, expressed that “the elegant captain Franz and his friend Gerd Müller will together cast their positive shadows on the present day, ensuring that the awareness of our great club history endures for future generations.”
The Kurt Landauer Foundation, which previously erected the Gerd Müller statue on the Allianz Arena esplanade, anticipates an 18-month timeline for completing the Beckenbauer statue project. To support this endeavor, the foundation has initiated a campaign to collect donations from Bayern Munich fans and fan clubs.
The installation of Franz Beckenbauer’s statue at the Allianz Arena underscores the club’s commitment to honoring its football legends and preserving its rich heritage for generations to come.
