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The death of Franz Beckenbauer especially affects a Swiss football legend: Roger Wehrli (67), because it is hard to believe but true: the two were once teammates.
Flashback. At the beginning of January 1983, an international indoor football tournament took place in Zurich’s Hallenstadion. The attraction at the time: 37-year-old Franz Beckenbauer signed up as a ranking player for this one occasion.
His then teammate Wehrli: “I’m very sad that he died and I could cry. His performance in the rankings in 1983 was one of the highlights of my entire career, because Beckenbauer was my great role model as a libero. It was sensational to be able to play with such a world star. He had a normal conversation with us.”
Even years later, Beckenbauer still remembered him, Wehrli says. “I saw him two or three more times at Sepp Blatter’s FIFA tournament in Valais and again in Munich when I was at Robbie Williams’ concert with my wife and met him by chance at the airport. We all exchanged a few words with each other.”
He slept in Niederrohrdorf AG
When Beckenbauer played for the GC in 1983, he did not sleep in a luxury hotel in Zurich, but in Niederrohrdorf in Aargau, in the house of Raimondo Ponte (68). The GC legend remembers: “Beckenbauer stayed with me and my wife for two nights. All his successes could have earned him star status, but he didn’t. He was a humble, sweet man.”
Ponte was impressed not only by Beckenbauer’s humanity, but also by his playful elegance. “When he touched the ball it was something very special. You also saw that at the tournament in the Hallenstadion.”
Record income thanks to Emperor Franz
Ranking player Charly In-Albon (66) is also enthusiastic when he thinks back 41 years. “Playing at Beckenbauer was a highlight of my career. Of course, he had improved the entire tournament immensely at the time. Many spectators came especially for him. They wanted to see him play once.”
The plan at the time to sign Beckenbauer for a tournament also succeeded financially. Because the indoor stadium was sold out on both days and all 30,000 tickets had been sold, GC as organizer raised a quarter of a million francs.
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
