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Franz Beckenbauer led his country to the top of the FIFA World Cup as both captain, coach, and national team leader. Currently, German football is not at its best, but the living legend of German football club still does not lose hope. Here we present an interview with the president of this Munich team recently given to the "Champions" magazine.
"Champions": How do you assess the situation of German football?
Franz Beckenbauer: Simply look at the world football rankings - we are no longer among the top 10. At the moment, we are not among the best in the world, and the results clearly reflect that. We reached the World Cup final, but had a hard time getting through the qualifying stage. We came in second, which is truly amazing, we managed to calmly qualify for the European Championship. However, the results in the qualifiers, the results in friendly matches... For many years now, we have not been able to defeat big teams, such as England, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, or Italy. But that does not mean we cannot perform successfully in Portugal. Maybe everything will turn out as great as it did in the World Cup.
"Champions": What about club football?
Beckenbauer: Even worse. Look at the Champions League. Conclusions should have been drawn last year. "Bayern" were eliminated in the first group stage, Leverkusen and Dortmund in the second. We said it happened by coincidence, but it has been happening like this for years. German football is definitely not better at the moment. It's even declining. If we compare ourselves to Italy, Spain, or England, our football is lagging behind. What are those countries doing differently? Maybe it's a matter of money? They don't have more money, they even have more debts. In Spain or Italy, most clubs would have gone bankrupt if not for their patrons. They live beyond their means, lavishly, not based on income, and we don't do that. Also, that way we will never attract players like Figo, Raul, Beckham, or Ronaldo to Germany.
"Champions": How important is the Champions League for German clubs?
Beckenbauer: Extremely important, even for the image itself. The Champions League is like the European league, where the best gather. From a sporting perspective, it is very important, as you have to play with the best teams in the world. Ultimately, it is financially important, even if your performance in it ends quickly. Playing in the Champions League can still earn you significant money.
"Champions": Can Germany regain its strength?
Beckenbauer: I believe so. As soon as the new stadiums are built for the World Cup, we will show off with infrastructure that you won't find anywhere in the world. And then, I think that some superstars, who currently prefer Italy, England or Spain, could join the Bundesliga. Such things really help. At least that's what I hope.
"Champions": You "brought" the 2006 World Cup to Germany.
Beckenbauer: I did not "bring" it to Germany, the whole team did. I was its leader, but acting alone will never achieve any goal. The more successful we negotiated, the more enthusiastic we were. It's an experience we will no longer have. In the next 50 years, the World Cup will not be held in Germany. It's an extraordinary opportunity to present yourself to the world. Hundreds of millions of people watched the last World Cup. Organizing the World Cup is an opportunity that only comes once in a lifetime. By playing, you can win several times. This success is more important to me than my victory in the 1974 and 1990 World Cups.
