The club FC "Bavaria" from Munich made the decision to honor the memory of its legendary player Franz Beckenbauer by hanging his playing jersey with the number 5 at the Allianz Arena. This tribute will be completed in the middle of the match against Bayer Leverkusen as part of the first match of the Round of 16 of the Champions League.
The president of the club, Herbert Hainer, stated: "We are pleased to honor Franz Beckenbauer in this way at the Allianz Arena. The participants of the club's annual meeting decided not to use number 5 in the future." The honorable jersey with number 5 will be lit up during the opening of the match of the Round of 16 of the Champions League against Leverkusen.
Beckenbauer, born in Munich in 1945, joined the youth team of "Bavaria" in 1959 and helped the team return to the top league in 1965, which became the first time in the club's history. He became one of the greatest footballers in Europe, leading the West Germany national team to victory at the 1974 World Cup, and then became a successful coach.
Beckenbauer was twice recognized as the best footballer in Europe - in 1972 and 1976. He played 424 matches in the Bundesliga, scoring 44 goals over 13 years with "Bavaria." Together with them, he won the Bundesliga four times and the Champions League three times in a row from 1974 to 1976, before finishing his career in 1983.
