Mistakes and Beckenbauer’s arm glued to the body make for a game of the century Mistakes and Beckenbauer’s arm glued to the body make for a game of the century

The legend is born as soon as the great battle is over. Under the spell of the dramatic events, a Mexican TV reporter predicts with pathos in his voice: “This game will go down in history. A commemorative plaque with Italy and Germany and the date June 17, 1970 will be placed in the stadium. But no results will be given. Because the game had no winner and no loser.”

No winner, no vanquished? Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that? Decades later, Gerd Müller will still say: “You can’t get a game like that out of your head. I could go crazy today. I will never recover from this defeat against the Italians.” And already in 1975, Franz Beckenbauer wrote in his autobiography (“One like me”) that the term “game of the century” was exaggerated.

As many mistakes as normal during a season

Gerd Müller and Franz Beckenbauer are not entirely wrong. The “game of the century” is a game that lives mainly on mistakes. How can two dozen of the best players in the world make more mistakes in two hours than in an entire season? But above all: a game not inspired by Franz Beckenbauer, the Emperor’s genius, should be the “game of the century”?

But the myth lives on. It is mainly based on the fact that the game develops into a drama with a foreseeable tragic ending. The fate of the Germans was sealed long ago when they were still fighting it. With an injured platoon leader.

The “Evening Standard” sees Franz Beckenbauer in the language of the English military reporter as a “wounded, defeated, but proud Prussian officer”. But Beckenbauer is a Bavarian and not a Prussian.

Beckenbauer with a broken shoulder and arm sling

In this “game of the century” it touches the heart, like Franz Beckenbauer, the brilliant football artist, even then the embodiment of the lightness of being, after a serious foul by Pierluigi Cera for 50 minutes with only half his strength and more with his balance than fighting the opponent, struggling across the playing field under the scorching sun.

Released otherwise, but now the right arm is taped to the body to immobilize the broken shoulder joint. Hand tied to the heart. The gentleman on the ball as a man of pain.

Franz Beckenbauer has to watch almost inactively as the Italians go one step further. Gerd Müller has just tipped a risky Fabrizio Poletti return past Enrico Albertosi to take a 2-1 lead when Tarcisio Burgnich equalizes after an unbelievable mistake by Siggi Held. Another five minutes later, Luigi Riva shoots the 2:3. He leaves Karl-Heinz Schnellinger standing.

While Germany is still celebrating, Italy is tying the knot

No one dares to think about rebalancing. Since Gerd Müller was concerned about the 3:3. In a nosedive after a cross from Reinhard Libuda. It is Müller’s tenth and last goal at this World Cup. Italian director Gianni Rivera bites into the target out of sheer rage, as photos document.

Fate decision because it is still 3:3 after extra time? No. Rivera shoots the Italians into the final a minute later. Because the Germans neglect the defense in the joy of the miraculous 3: 3. “Mistakes were always made when we thought we had the game in our hands,” complains national coach Helmut Schön afterwards. Willi Schulz was outplayed on the left by Roberto Bonisegna and Rivera was left alone on the penalty spot to score 4-3 past Sepp Maier.

The referee is scolded, but only thanks to him it came to extra time

Then the referee is yelled at. Arturo Yamasaki, the Peruvian with a Japanese passport, missed two clear penalties (fouls against Franz Beckenbauer and Uwe Seeler). However, the Germans would not have gone into extra time and the game of the century would not have happened if Yamasaki had not added four minutes.

Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, of all people, who worked for AC Milan at the time, used the graciously given time to equalize Roberto Bonisegna’s 0-1 draw. Literally at the last minute, the defender carried a Jürgen Grabowski cross over the line to make it 1-1 on his only foray into the other half of the match.

Immediately after the match, the halo crowns the heroes and makes the winners and the vanquished shine. It doesn’t matter who scores goals, who concedes, who made mistakes and who didn’t. It was the only World Cup match without winners and losers. A game of the century.

The Italians lose 1:4 in the final against Brazil. The Germans take third place with a 1-0 win against Uruguay.