Franz Beckenbauer has died: the link with Argentina, an intimate enemy

First as a footballer, then as a coach and finally as a manager, the activity of Franz Beckenbauer, who died this Monday at the age of 78 after serious physical deterioration, he had a constant relationship with Argentina.

To mention the last stop, when he was responsible for organizing the 2006 World Cup in his country, he visited Argentina on a promotional tour and was received by the then president Néstor Kirchner.

The two World Cup finals in which he led the German national team (Mexico 1986, Italy 1990) mark the fundamental stages of that relationship.

But all this began in the footballer’s time when, on 12 July 1966, at the Aston Villa stadium (Villa Park) in Birmingham, where he now wears Dibu Martínez, Germany and Argentina played the second match of their first-class group. return for the World Cup in England.

The Germans had just beaten Switzerland 5-0 and Argentina, again under the technical guidance of Totò Lorenzo, debuted with a beautiful 2-1 victory over Spain. After a very uncertain precedent, the national team seemed to be back on track but Totò, faithful to his tradition, did not want to take risks against the Germans and the 0-0 (which ultimately ended) would have been his main bet .

However, the German coach, another legend called Helmut Schön, thought the same way and made sure that Beckenbauer – who at 20 years old already looked like the formidable footballer he was – marked our team’s playmaker, the great Ermindo Onega .

This is what happened in a conservative and boring match on both sides (shaken only by an error from Marshal Profumo, which almost ended with a goal). His center pair partner, the relentless Rafael Albretch of Tucumán, had tired of stopping the German attacks and with 20 minutes left he kicked goal scorer Uwe Seeler, which led to his immediate dismissal. From then on until the end the Argentine defensive tactics became more accentuated, with the motto of maintaining the score zero.

Germany would reach the final of that World Cup, which they lost in a controversial extra time against Bobby Charlton’s England (4-2, with a third goal which is still discussed today, whether it entered or not) and which meant the the only title – to this day – of the inventors of modern football. Argentina, however, ended up in the quarterfinals with the English, 1-0 at Wembley and Rattin’s famous expulsion.

At the national level, Beckenbauer met Argentina again seven years later, in totally different circumstances.

It was a friendly match at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, on 14 February 1973, when the Albiceleste was led by Enrique Omar Sívori, with the mission of putting together “a young team, with a future” and forgetting all the difficulties they had experienced. it dragged on from the World Cup in Sweden.

Argentina gave the vote that day by winning 3-2 with goals from Ghiso, Beto Alonso (in what was his best production with the national team) and Brindisi, but “Cabezón” Sívori’s path at the helm of the team did not go to successful. much further ahead, beyond the qualifications, in constant comparison with the leaders.

That is remembered as a great triumph, beyond his status as a friend: Germany was already a great power and lined up the base that, a year later, would win the world title in their homeland: together with Beckenbauer, they were Maier in goal, that attack dog called Bertie Vogts who covers one side, Breitner and his path on the flanks, Overath’s talent in attack.

Then comes Beckenbauer’s coaching cycle, which is equally notable: together with the Brazilian Mario “Lobo” Zagallo and the Frenchman Didier Deschamps, they are the only ones to have enjoyed world titles as a player and then as a coach.

Of course it cost Beckenbauer. Everything seemed aligned in Mexico 86, but Diego Maradona’s dazzling performance led Argentina to the second title in its history, after the 3-2 victory against the Germans that sealed Burruchaga’s immortal run.

Revenge will come four years later in Italy. There Bilardo – always a coach, just like in Mexico – had a decimated squad and, despite everything, reached the final. In the end the Germans could only win 1-0 – also controversial, sanctioned by the Mexican Codesal and converted by Andreas Brehme – because Beckenbauer won the third title in his country’s and his own coaching history.

That period of duels at national level between Argentina and Germany, with Bilardo and Beckenbauer on the DTS benches, lasted another three games. The first occurred in Düsseldorf, on 12 September 1984, when Bilardo – after having inherited the position from Menotti – was putting together the team for the qualifiers and Argentina achieved a good 3-1 victory, with a brace from Burru.

On 16 December 1987 the “revenge of Mexico” was promoted in Vélez, although in reality it was a friendly match and Argentina won again (1-0) with another goal from Burruchaga. And Beckenbauer would find his way back into the team set up by Bilardo only on 2 April of the following year in Berlin, on the occasion of the Four Nations Cup (1-0 with a goal by Lothar Matthäus).

“Football has led Beckenbauer and Bilardo through opposite turns – wrote the eminent Spanish journalist Santiago Segurola – There will not be two more contrasting characters in football. Bilardo, a doctor who has never practiced medicine, is obsessed with football, an intuitive, hardworking and bizarre character. Beckenbauer cultivated aristocratic forms from the age of twenty. He has always lived with his head held high, as a player and as a coach. In his country he is an indestructible myth. Bilardo is less fortunate and one of the national sports in Argentina is to attack him…”

But beyond that almost decade-long rivalry in which each was at the helm of his own national team, Bilardo and Beckenbauer had a good relationship, which lasted over several technical meetings. When the German finally won the world title at the helm of his national team, a typical Argentine speech was also heard: “No one has as many titles as me. Franz lacks the title of doctor.

At club level, the “Kaiser” was also the protagonist of some memorable matches with the Argentines.

His first visit – unforgettable – took place at the end of ’66, exactly on 19 December, where Racing experienced a double celebration: the recent coronation in the local championship with “José’s Team” (unbeaten record, prelude to the international triumphs of ‘ 67) and the inauguration of the Cylinder’s lighting system. To celebrate there is nothing better than calling a team that was already establishing itself as a world power, Bayern Munich.

There they had Kaiser, recently runners-up in the World Cup in England, with Sepp Maier in goal and who would become their historic goalscorer, the “Bomber of the Nation” (and recently deceased), Gerd Müller. It was a great match that Racing won 3-2. Müller’s opportunism with his two natural talents wasn’t enough, as the Academy won in a frenetic round trip with goals from Panadero Díaz, Chango Cárdenas and Yaya Rodríguez. At the same time, Racing fans had patented one of their classic songs which gives an idea of ​​what Beckenbauer himself meant to Argentine football: “In Germany, Beckenbauer… in Brazil, King Pelé… And here, in Argentina, José’s team.”

Another Argentine team that had a lot of fun against Bayern Munich at the time was Chacarita. Javier Milei was not yet among the goals of his youth, but being one of the most humble teams of his time, he lived his moment of glory by winning the 1969 Metropolitan Championship.

Practically on the same basis, two years later he was invited to the Joan Gamper trophy in Barcelona and won a match which – according to his record – can be considered the most important: 2-0 against Bayern of Beckenbauer, Maier, Müller, Breitner … with an amazing performance from his right winger, Marco. In the final, Barcelona won the title (1-0 over Chaca).

In the twilight of his campaign, and just as had happened shortly before with Pelé, Beckenbauer left to play for the New York Cosmos in the newly formed American League. At the end of ’78 they toured Argentina and together with the German there were other famous players such as the Italian “tank” Giorgio Chinaglia and the Brazilian full-back Carlos Alberto.

The debut took place on November 3 in Tucumán, against none other than Argentina Under 20 (later world champion 79 in Japan) where… Diego Maradona was already shining. It was 2-0 for the young Argentines.

“I met him that time and I immediately understood that we were faced with an enormous talent. That time I told myself that we are not dealing with a footballer, but with an artist,” Beckenbauer recalled. The Cosmos’ tour continued with the 1-1 draw against Belgrano de Córdoba at the Chateau, preceded by a party where Gloria Gaynor sang the famous “I’ll survive”… Then Beckenbauer and company.

They beat Independiente Rivadavia 2-1 in Mendoza 2-1 and closed the tour on November 16 in Mar del Plata against Boca. Led by “Totò” Lorenzo, they were already club world champions – ahead of the other German, Borussia – and here they beat the New Yorkers 4-2.

Beckenbauer would have another opportunity to play face to face with Maradona, as our national team would visit New York the following June. However, the German did not participate there. Yes, he did it when he returned to Argentina, in March 1980: under a downpour and at the Vélez stadium, the Cosmos won that friendly match 2-1 against Argentinos Juniors. With Diego.

It would be a long time before, when our idol died, Beckenbauer was one of the most moved: “Maradona was a genius, the best footballer in the world of his generation, in the 80s. And also a generous man.”

Two memorable endings

Interviewed twenty years later, Beckenbauer thus recalled the Argentina-Germany final of the World Cup, where he led his national team, with Bilardo as coach of the Albiceleste.

-Was that one out of 90 criminals?

-In Italy?! The referee blew his whistle.

-But what do you think, you were the technician and you saw it up close.

-I don’t know, but there was a similar situation before, I think it was a foul on Augenthaler, that was a penalty and he didn’t charge it, so maybe the referee felt busy and charged the other one.

-In the final of Mexico 1986, what happened to you? They came back from 0-2 and fell a few minutes later…

-Argentina was the best team of the tournament and Maradona the best player. We had little chance before the final was played, maybe 10%. When we lost 2-0 I made some tactical changes, I brought in a midfielder and a top scorer and the game changed, but we made another mistake and they didn’t forgive us.

-Do you talk to Bilardo about these issues? He says he can only argue with you, because you have officiated two World Cup finals in a row.

-I know, I know, and I really like talking to Bilardo because he is a great coach, very enthusiastic and special.