2024-01-08 22:35:31
The first time I saw him play was on June 17, 1970. It was the World Cup in Mexico and I was allowed to stay up late. The semi-final against Italy lasted until well after midnight on television. And it didn’t seem to stop. The Italians were Sandro Mazzola, Giacinto Facchetti, Tarcisio Burgnich. The Germans were called Schulz, Löhr, Patzke.
It was clear to the child who would win. But it wasn’t. Italy led by one goal from the eighth minute until shortly before the end. One goal was almost always enough for Italy. In the preliminary round they won their group with just one goal. Then in the ninetieth, the very last minute, Schnellinger equalized, “of all people” (Ernst Huberty), who had been reluctant to leave his own penalty area for a long time.
Extra time came, in which hardly any goals are usually scored. Five fell here, one too many. Beckenbauer carried the four on his back. He was a libero. That meant he showed up everywhere. He would have confused the “real formation” graphics that are common today, in which the actual positions of the players during a game are recorded. That also meant he had no opponent. Consequently, he moved differently than all the other players on the pitch, more freely, springily, with his head always held high, playing more with his ankles and outer instep than with his thighs. And never in a fighting stance. You couldn’t even imagine him sweating.
Perceived sovereignty
He definitely suffered. He was badly fouled several times by the extremely rustic Italians. He dislocated his shoulder midway through the second half and continued to play with an arm sling and his right arm across his chest until the end of overtime. Which made his movements even more dignified than they already were.
Franz Beckenbauer was a presence on the pitch that only Johan Cruyff and Zinédine Zidane were: noticeable sovereignty. He impressed not with spectacular goals, dribbling or tackles, but with his attitude and his omnipresence on the field. The attitude was shared with everyone. People said Uwe Seeler “us Uwe”, but no one said “us Franz”. He also didn’t have a pet name like Stan Libuda or Icke Häßler. He stood out from the ranks of the German Bertis, Rudis, Klinsis, Jogis and Hansis.
Instead he was called the Emperor, which well expressed the distance that lay between him and everyone else. In less imperial terms, he was casual without seeming casual. There always felt like there was a lot of space around him. The football of that time gave him the opportunity to do this, in which players had much more time than today to receive the ball and pass it. The rooms were not so crowded. At the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City, Beckenbauer sometimes walked past Italians, just one or two meters away, who didn’t even think about disturbing him, just as if he were the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
Matthias Alexander Published/Updated: Recommendations: 27 Michael Horeni Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 87 Published/Updated: Recommendations: 9
He perfected his style between 1970 and 1976, when he won every title possible with FC Bayern Munich and the national team. Afterwards came less impressive performances. Beckenbauer, who was a businessman early on, cashed in on his fame, became a trainer and later an organizer in the network of officials and political friends.
None of this can cover up the memory of the libero.
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