OM alumni remember the (brief) passage of “Kaiser” Franz Beckenbauer on the Canebière

Died at the age of 78, Franz Beckenbauer briefly worked for Olympique de Marseille, where he was coach between 1990 and 1991.

Franz Beckenbauer does not have many memories of his time at OM. The “Kaiser” will even go so far as to speak, 20 years later in 2011 in an interview with France Footballthat he had arrived in the middle “from a swamp”. The German football monument died on Monday December 8, 2024, at the age of 78. The double Ballon d’Or in 1972 and 1976 landed triumphantly in Marseille in September 1990, a few months after winning the World Cup as coach of the FRG (West Germany), against Argentina Diego Maradona in the final.

HAS Olympique de Marseille, the former central defender is technical director. But he quickly settled on the bench, in place of Gérard Gili, who did not hold it against him. “It happened courteously”he remembers. “He is a great man who is leaving us, he is the equal of all the idols before: Pelé, Maradona, Platini, Zidane etc.”judges the former player.

“To have been coached by Franz Beckenbauer was an honor.”

Pascal Olmeta, former OM player

at franceinfo

By bringing in the “Kaiser”, Bernard Tapie hits hard. Franz Beckenbauer is an icon who impresses everyone, starting with OM players, like goalkeeper Pascal Olmeta, marked by his visit. “Having a great football man come to coach us, we were happiest. It was fabulous”he said.

But the story will be cut short: 15 matches in total for only eight victories. In December he gave way to a certain Raymond Goethals, the Belgian who would lead OM to the European title in 1993.