Franz Beckenbauer, late legendary German footballer, will be honoured during the opening ceremony of the UEFA Euro 2024 opening ceremony ahead of the host nation’s clash against Scotland at the Munich Football Arena on Friday, as informed by the European football’s governing body.
During the opening ceremony, Beckenbauer’s wife Heidi will carry the Henri Delaunay Cup – the tournament’s championship trophy – along with Germany’s two living European Championship winning captains Bernard Dietz (1980) and Juergen Klinsmann (1996), onto the pitch before the tournament gets underway.
The venue of the ceremony is also home to Bayern Munich, the club where Beckenbauer played for over a decade. UEFA stated on their official website that this will ensure “all three of Germany’s UEFA Euro triumphs are reflected.”
Arguably one of the greatest defenders of all time, Beckenbauer led West Germany to a European Championship win in 1972 and a World Cup triumph in 1974, as well as winning the FIFA World Cup as a manager in 1990. He passed away in January at the age of 78.
Known affectionately as ‘Der Kaiser’, the former German defender was also instrumental in the success of Bayern Munich in the 70s. He was a formidable part of the team that won three back-to-back European Cups between 1974 and 1976, and also helped Bayern Munich win five Bundesliga titles – four as a player and one as coach. He was also a recipient of the UEFA President’s Award in 2013.
The German football team is placed in Group A along with Hungary, Switzerland, and Scotland. They are looking to become only the fourth host nation to win the European Championship. Only Spain (1964), Italy (1968), and France (1984) have managed to win the tournament as host nations till now.
