As of: January 21, 2024, 5:11 a.m
By: Christoph Klaucke
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Franz Beckenbauer's brother Walter couldn't get close to the Bayern star for years.
Only when the Emperor left Munich did the siblings speak out.
Munich – On Friday (January 19th) it’s time to say goodbye one last time.
The entire FC Bayern family and prominent guests from sports and politics remember the late Franz Beckenbauer at the memorial service.
Beckenbauer has already been buried in Munich and the football legend is laid to rest in the family grave.
His only brother Walter Beckenbauer also says goodbye.
The siblings maintained a close relationship, but there were tensions at one point.
Bayern manager broke up Beckenbauer brothers
Franz Beckenbauer became a superstar at the end of the 1960s.
Bayern manager Robert Schwan looked after his interests as his personal advisor and, among other things, made the emperor an advertising figure.
Schwan took everything from Beckenbauer so that he could concentrate solely on football.
A difficult time for Beckenbauer's older brother Walter.
“When I came to Franz, he said, pay attention: 'Talk to the swan'.
And of course that wasn’t acceptable for me,” said Walter Beckenbauer in the ARD documentary “Beckenbauer – Legend of German Football” about the busy swan.
“For me personally, he was the worst person that ever appeared in the family because it was impossible to get closer to my brother during those years.” In the documentary, Walter Beckenbauer also found touching words for his brother Franz.
Walter and Franz Beckenbauer have a good brotherly relationship.
The picture on the left is from 2015, the one on the right is from the BR documentary.
© Apress/Imago/Screenshot/ARD
“Impossible to get to him”: Walter Beckenbauer missed his brother Franz
Schwan apparently shielded Beckenbauer from his brother for years.
“The relationship with Franz was actually over when Robert Schwan came, he shielded him until it was no longer possible,” said Walter Beckenbauer in the ZDF documentary “Mensch Beckenbauer!” Also at the 1974 World Cup title, when the Kaiser was at its peak.
“I would have liked to have spoken to him about it at that point: What do you actually think?
But as I said, it was a bit impossible to get to him,” explained Walter Beckenbauer in the ARD documentary “Beckenbauer – Legend of German Football”.
It was only years later that a discussion between the brothers would take place - far away from home.
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Franz Beckenbauer and his brother Walter: discussion in New York
“We sat in Central Park for three hours and actually made excuses.
What's been going on in the last few years?
And he then asked me: 'Tell me, what do you actually do?
What were you doing during that time?'
“He didn’t really notice it all,” recalled Walter Beckenbauer.
In 1977, Beckenbauer moved from FC Bayern to the New York Cosmos in the USA.
“And not a single person came and wanted an autograph.
He was unknown in New York, in Central Park.
Nobody spoke to him,” said Walter Beckenbauer happily.
“I then flew back from New York.
I was the happiest person in the world.
Suddenly I knew again: 'Okay, now he's noticing you again'."
Walter Beckenbauer proud of Franz: “The relationship with the children is exactly the same as before”
“In America he was actually able to live like a free person for the first time,” explained former sports photographer Diana Sandmann, who was with Beckenbauer between 1977 and 1988.
“Suddenly the child relationship was the same as before,” said Walter Beckenbauer, who had won his brother back.
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