7 Jan 2025
To mark the first anniversary of Franz Beckenbauer's death, Torsten Körner's documentary “Beckenbauer - The Last Emperor” can be seen on free TV for the first time: On Tuesday, January 7, 2025, 8:15 p.m., ARTE will show the international version of the three-part documentary.
The documentary trilogy sheds light on the life of the sporting icon between fairy tale and myth. In this episode: Franz Beckenbauer (1945-2024), the libero of the up-and-coming FC Bayern and the national team, first conquers Germany and shortly afterwards the whole world with the 1966 World Cup in England.
This is how pictures learn to walk, black and white slowly becomes color, the newly founded Bundesliga becomes the German soccer standard and its players become stars - and soccer becomes socially acceptable. And Franz Beckenbauer (1945-2024), the libero of the up-and-coming FC Bayern and the national team, first conquered Germany and shortly afterwards the whole world with the 1966 World Cup in England.
Back home, the gold rush begins. On the pitch, the young man transforms into a leader. On television, he spooned up bagged soup and sang about “good friends”, now the first footballer ever to have his own visionary manager in Robert Schwan. And he marries and becomes the father of three children.
Soccer, which was now being played and marketed more and more professionally, drove him breathlessly through life. Nevertheless, the “Kaiser” exudes a fascinating calm. And by the semi-final of the 1970 World Cup at the latest, when he simply continued to play in the “match of the century” between Italy and Germany after a serious fall with a shoulder bandage, he won over even his last critics.