As of: January 22, 2024, 5:13 a.m
By: Philipp Kuserau
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The friendship of Sepp Maier and Franz Beckenbauer is legendary.
Maier says goodbye with an emotional letter.
His words are deeply touching.
Munich - Sepp Maier in goal, Franz Beckenbauer as libero: An unbeatable combination that shaped German football - not only at FC Bayern, but also in the national team.
Maier and Beckenbauer went through thick and thin together, both in sport and in friendship.
This is particularly clear in the very emotional farewell letter that the goalkeeper legend wrote on the death of Beckenbauer.
The “Emperor” died last Sunday (January 7th) at the age of 78.
Maier remembers Beckenbauer in his farewell letter: “You never took off”
“I will never forget you - as a teammate, a sportsman and, above all, as a person.
You were a pop star of German football.
Every footballer can learn a lesson from your elegance on the pitch.
You never took off, but always remained a man of the people,” says Maier’s letter, which
was published by
Sport1 .
“I will miss your sense of humor too.
I fondly remember the teasing with Günter Netzer when, despite your health problems, you once said a few years ago: 'I always had to run for Günter Netzer in international matches.
I was happy to sacrifice my hip for him.'” Beckenbauer's sense of humor also came to the fore again and again through his flippant sayings.
Beckenbauer played the 1970 World Cup semi-final with his arm in a sling
In addition to their sporting successes, Maier and Beckenbauer also went through the valleys that come with a long career in football.
In 1970, the German national team narrowly lost 3-4 to Italy in the World Cup semi-finals in Mexico.
The Italian football legend Gianni Rivera particularly remembers one scene from Beckenbauer.
“I remember his face because he was even angrier than the goalkeeper Sepp Maier.
But then he said goodbye to us at the end of the game.
He was a great gentleman, even off the field.”
Rivera ultimately decided the game with his goal to make it 4-3 for Italy.
The World Cup semi-final between Italy and Germany is still considered one of the most exciting World Cup games of all time.
Back then, Beckenbauer led the way and played large parts of the game with his arm in a sling due to a shoulder injury.
Franz Beckenbauer and Sepp Maier won the 1974 World Cup together. © IMAGO/Baumann
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Maier and Beckenbauer won the 1974 World Cup together in their own country
In addition to their shared successes with the German record champions, winning the 1972 European Championship and the 1974 World Cup title in their own country were certainly the highlights of their careers.
Death of son Stephan left Beckenbauer “broken hearted”
But in the farewell letter to Beckenbauer, Maier also remembered setbacks off the field.
“One of the blackest moments of your life was the death of your son Stephan, which broke your heart.
Everyone who knew you closely felt that.
The lightness was no longer there.
“You had withdrawn more and more from the public,” Maier wrote about the death of Beckenbauer’s son in 2015.
“In recent years you have certainly been very concerned about the doubts surrounding the awarding of the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
"That hurt my soul," Maier also addressed Beckenbauer's controversial role as a sports official, but at the same time emphasized that Beckenbauer "gave Germany the summer fairy tale in 2006 and thereby made an entire football nation happy and united."
Maier finds touching words in his farewell letter to Beckenbauer
The last sentences in Maier's farewell letter read emotionally: “My dear Franz, I will miss you, especially the many conversations with you. I will also never forget the time we spent together on the lawn.
You have always been a figure of light for us, from now on you shine from above.
German football and I will really miss you.
Take care, my friend.” But it wasn’t just Maier who said goodbye to the emperor with emotional words – his ex-wife also mourned Beckenbauer with a moving message.
(kus)