Beckenbauer's monument erected outside Allianz Arena in tandem with 80th birthday
| Photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images. |
On Friday 12 September, the day before Franz Beckenbauer's 80th-birthday, the monument in eternal remembrance of "Der Kaiser" was unveiled in front of the Allianz Arena.
The Bayern Munich legend proudly stands next to the statue of fellow icon Gerd Müller on the esplanade in front of the German record champions' stadium.
The monument was ceremoniously unveiled by his wife Heidi Beckenbauer, as well as long-time Uli Hoeneß, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Herbert Hainer, Jan-Christian Dreesen.
Artist Matilde Romagnoli, who sculpted the piece, and representatives of the Kurt Landauer Foundation, which funded the fan project with donations.
"This monument is a piece of FC Bayern's DNA, cast in bronze and it stands for Beckenbauer and everything he embodied: for style, for attitude - for Bavaria.
“Munich is getting more than just a monument - a reflection of the city itself: proud, self-confident, elegant, and down-to-earth,” explained club president Hainer.
Among the 300 honoured guests were Max Eberl and Christoph Freund. Beckenbauer's colleagues and family told stories and shared laughs on his wonderful career and life.
