It is this kind of detail, a little anecdote, that millions of destinies can change. Franz Beckenbauer is part of this elite, that of the greatest football players in history. The German, who died this Monday January 8 at the age of 78, revolutionized the libero position in the 60s and 70s, finishing three times on the World Cup podium with the FRG (including a victory in 1974 ) and winning two Ballons d’Or, in 1972 and 1976. Above all, Beckenbauer wrote the first great pages of the legend of Bayern Munich, which would become by far the No. 1 club in Germany. And yet, this is not at all what was planned for him.
It’s a long road that Franz Junior has traveled, son of Franz senior and Antonie, from the working class, and nephew of Alfonz Beckenbauer, player for… Bayern Munich in the 1930s. Born in Munich In 1945, Franz Beckenbauer grew up in the small town of Giesing, a suburb of the Bavarian capital. He and the football were like love at first sight. Beckenbauer took his first steps at local club SC 1906 Munich. He grew up there. His talent too. He was not 13 years old when TSV 1860 Munich approached him. That’s good, it’s the club he’s supported since he was little. At the time, it was the city’s flagship club, far ahead of Bayern, which limited its youth recruitment to wealthy neighborhoods. As the end of the season approaches, Beckenbauer plays his last matches with SC 1906. He participates in a tournament that will change the trajectory of his career.
In the semi-final of this youth tournament, organized in the town of Neubiberg, southeast of Munich, Beckenbauer scored against the eliminated Bayern. The young striker finds his favorite club, TSV 1860, in the final. But the under-14s are not all altar boys. The talented Beckenbauer is targeted. Gerhard König, then a defender against the future legendary player, even “harassed” him on the pitch, as he told the weekly Kreisbote more than five decades later. Why, of all possible opponents, was Krönig interviewed? Because, “one word led to another”, he was the one who raised his hand to Beckenbauer: “I quickly glanced at the referee and when I saw that he was looking elsewhere, I slapped Franz.”
A real shock for the young Munich resident, who will confirm the veracity of this story while qualifying it as a “ridiculous incident”. “Beckenbauer then decided that he would never play for a club whose players behave like this,” wrote Ulrich Hesse in his book “Goal! The history of German football. Discussions with TSV 1860 Munich are shattered. Beckenbauer signs for Bayern during the summer. He will begin his professional career there in the second division. After more than 550 matches between 1964 and 1977, the “Kaiser” said goodbye to the red jersey, not without having won 10 trophies including three consecutive European Champion Clubs’ Cups. In his wake, Bayern became one of the biggest football clubs in the world.
So it all started with a slap in the face. Gerhard König, the man who hit Beckenbauer, waited until he was 65 to speak publicly about it. He never had a career in football and became the owner of a restaurant, but he was afraid that “fans of the Lions (the nickname of the players of TSV 1860 Munich, editor’s note) would be angry and set fire to the restaurant”. The city’s former biggest club was relegated in the 1980s. It returned to the Bundesliga in 1994, before sinking again in 2004. He will never have seen Beckenbauer wear his blue and white colors. In 2010, German TV caused a sensation by organizing the meeting between König and Beckenbauer, who had become honorary president of Bayern. “Given the way things have turned out, I almost have to thank König for slapping me,” joked the “Kaiser”. If there are anyone who says thank you, it’s the Bavarian supporters.
