the day Franz Beckenbauer played the “match of the century” with his arm in a sling

The greatest legend of German football died on Monday at the age of 78.

“Der Kaizer” is dead. Franz Beckenbauer, the German football legend, died on Monday January 8. Notably a double Golden Ball (1972 and 1976) and winner of two World Cups, as a player in 1974, and as a coach in 1990, he leaves behind him a record that few footballers can boast of. But the most memorable image of his career was captured on a night of defeat, when on June 17, 1970, he participated in one of the greatest matches in football history with his arm in a sling.

That day, West Germany faced Italy for a place in the final of the 1970 World Cup. Outgoing finalist, the FRG counted two 24-year-old players among its headliners: serial scorer Gerd Müller, and Franz Beckenbauer, as boss of the middle. Despite his youth, the latter is already in his second World Cup, four years after the final of the 1966 edition, lost to Bobby Charlton’s England.

Almost an hour of play with a broken collarbone

In front of 102,000 spectators at Azteca (in Mexico City) and under stifling heat, the ambition of a second German coronation in the World Cup took a blow after only seven minutes of play. Helped by a favorable counterattack, Roberto Boninsegna opened the scoring for Italy with a powerful strike from the edge of the area. After the stupor, the minutes tick by. Comes half-time, then the second act. Germany has been leading for more than an hour of play and is heading towards the exit. And things get a little more complicated when Franz Beckenbauer remains on the ground after a collision with an Italian.

“At that moment my vision went black. A sharp, shooting pain in my shoulder. [Pierluigi] Cera had put me to bed”the person later recounted in his book My adversaries – my friends. The German’s right collarbone is broken. There are then twenty minutes remaining in regulation time and Helmut Schön, the FRG coach, has already made his two changes. Beckenbauer refuses to let his teammates play shorthanded and Germany continues to push. In the last minute of regulation time, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger appeared at the penalty spot to snatch extra time and turn the match into an irrational one.

>> ALSO SEE: the video summary of the semi-final between Germany and Italy

1-1. The meeting restarts for an additional 30 minutes. Franz Beckenbauer returns to the pitch with his arm in a sling, pressed against his chest. The image will remain engraved in the memory of spectators and viewers of the time, especially as the meeting gets out of hand. Germany takes the lead very quickly thanks to Gerd Müller (94th). Then Italy equalizes and gets back in front (Burgnich 98th, then Riva 104th). There is no question of Germany abdicating. Ten minutes from the end of the match, Gerd Müller brings his team to 3-3 (110th).

Still on the pitch, Franz Beckenbauer doesn’t shine but has been trying hard to give everything he can for a while. Unfortunately for him, he can only helplessly watch Italy’s 4-3 goal, scored on the commitment and signed by Rivera (111th). The Germans finally bow, but that will not prevent “Der Kaizer” from making history. “He showed his character and could probably play as well with one arm as most people could with two”said the Englishman Geoff Hurst, the sworn enemy of the Germans during the 1966 final, to Supersport (video in English).