As part of the club’s 125th-anniversary celebrations, FC Bayern will host a one-off legends tournament on 17 March 2025 in honour of its late honorary president, according to the club’s official website.
All proceeds from the Beckenbauer Cup will go to the Franz Beckenbauer Foundation. FC Bayern will host teams of former players from Real Madrid, AC Milan Glorie, Borussia Dortmund, VfB Stuttgart and another top European club that will be confirmed soon in a small-sided indoor football tournament at the SAP Garden in Munich. Former Bayern captain, treble and World Cup winner Philipp Lahm will be involved with the club’s legends for the first time as coach.
“We’re delighted that the memory of Franz Beckenbauer has been given a very special place through this tournament as part of our club’s 125th anniversary. Franz Beckenbauer is the person without whom the success story of FC Bayern would have been unthinkable. His name will always be inextricably linked with this club. It was particularly important to us to support the Franz Beckenbauer Foundation with this tournament. Franz always had an open ear for everyone and was always willing to give a lot of himself. We want to keep this legacy alive,” Jan-Christian Dreesen, FC Bayern CEO said.
“I’m very proud to be part of the FC Bayern Legends for the first time at this special event. We’re excited about the tournament with amazing clubs from around Europe, and I’m personally looking forward to seeing one or two familiar faces from previous big games – games where Franz Beckenbauer often kept his fingers crossed in the stands. We’ll never forget him. As someone from Munich, he was always someone who inspired me in special ways,” said Philipp Lahm, FC Bayern Legends coach.