Bavaria reveals the Beckenbauer statue outside Allianz Arena

A bronze statue of Germany football legend Franz Beckenbauer was unveiled on Friday outside of Bayern Munich -Arena, one day after what his 80th birthday would have been.

Known as the ‘Kaiser’, the German word for Emperor, for his elegant and commander playing style, the statue is the newest in a series of awards for Beckenbauer, who died in January 2024 at the age of 78.

The statue shows Beckenbauer overlooking the ball with his right foot.

It is a characteristic pose in his typical ‘Libero’ position behind the defense that the football player born in Munich in the 1970s is large-scale.

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Beckenbauer won the Bundesliga and the World Cup and both a player and a manager, together with lifting the European Cup, the precursor of today’s Champions League, three times from 1974-1976.

«Here are today, the statue reveal and see how many people have come is a moving moment,» said Bayern President Herbert Hiner.

«In recent years I had become very good friends with Franz Beckenbauer. We all miss him – not only as a football player, but especially as a person.»

Beckenbauer’s Red Bayern No. 5 Jersey is also painted in the Allianz Arena trusses, while the street leads to the stadium has been renamed Franz Beckenbauer Place.

The German Super Cup, a competition for the season with the competition and cup winners, was renamed the Franz Beckenbauer Super Cup for this campaign.

The Allianz Arena was opened in 2005 and built under the direction of Beckenbauer, together with Oude Bayern Powerbrokers Uli Hoonheid and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, both of whom were present on Friday.

The statue is the second that is set up on the Esplanade outside the 75,000 seat stadium, after former Bayern and Germany striker Gerd Mueller.

Munich mayor Dieter Reiter said that the statue «was the highest honor that the city can give to someone posthumously».

Beckenbauer won the Ballon d’Or twice, in 1972 and 1976, making him the only defender in history who won the prize two or more occasions.

Published on September 12, 2025