NEWSMAKERS UNPLUGGED MEETS FOOTBALL LEGEND FRANZ BECKENBAUER IN STUTTGART, GERMANY

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
HOSTS OF NEWSMAKERS UNPLUGGED KASSANDRA KASSIM AND HENRY GOLDING HAD AN EXCLUSIVE AND RARE INTERVIEW WITH GERMANY'S GREATEST FOOTBALLER EVER FRANZ BECKENBAUER ON THE GOLF LINKS AT GOLFANLAGE SCHLOSS NIPPENBURG GOLF CLUB NEAR STUTTGART, GERMANY.

Franz Beckenbauer is a Laureus Academy Member together with Boris Becker though I had assumed both are Ambassadors but it seems they are not! 

Franz Beckenbauer is acknowledged as Germany's greatest footballer of all time, living or dead. 

At 68, he has long retired from active football but most Malaysians have heard of him and admired him in the 1970s when he was at his peak.

He is now a football coach, manager and columnist for Bild, Germany's best selling mass tabloid. Franz Beckenbauer is known as Der Kaiser or The Emperor for his regal style, demeanour, leadership and elegant appearance. By coincidence, many German and Austrian emperors were also named Franz. Remember Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (in those days Germany was a province of Austria!) whose assasination started World War 1? Then there are Franz Joseph I, Franz Karl, Franz 1 and Franz II plus dozens more luminaries named Franz so this is a great feng shui name!

Anyway, our Franz Beckenbauer was European Footballer of the Year not once but twice and played 103 times for West Germany (remember East Germany was then an evil, communist state?) and played in 3 World Cups. 

He enters history as the only person to win the World Cup as captain in 1974 and later as coach in 1990! How amazing is that? 

As if this is not enough, he is the only person in history to win 3 European Cups as captain of his club Bayern Munich! 

As for his moniker Der Kaiser, there are 2 theories. One; in Vienna in 1968 he posed beside a statue of Emperor Franz Joseph I. One was Emperor of Austria and one was emperor of football so the media captioned the photo as 'Football Kaiser' and the nickname stuck. 

When asked, Franz Beckenbauer said this was the true version but many fans think otherwise. Of course this is a politically correct version!

The second version; in 1969 Franz Beckenbauer fouled his opposite number Reinhard Libuda and ignoring Libuda's jeering fans, the young and feisty footballer coolly strolled to the opposition's side and balanced the offending ball in front of the upset fans for 30 seconds! 

As Reinhard Libuda was called King of Westphalia (by then sadly Germany no longer had a monarchy) the awe-stricken press had to think of a more exalted moniker for the brash, brazen and bold Beckenbauer and so kowtowed to him as Der Kaiser or The Emperor! The highest title is Emperor, followed by King, Archdukes, Dukes, Counts, Barons, Viscounts, Lords, Sirs etc.

KASSANDRA KASSIM CHATS WITH 'EMPEROR' FRANZ BECKENBAUER AS HENRY GOLDING CLUTCHES HIS PALMS REVERENTIALLY

FINALLY HENRY GOLDING UNCLASPS HIS HANDS

BUT NOT FOR LONG

NO, NO EVIL TERRORIST WAS SHOOTING FRANZ BECKENBAUER! HE BENT AND CLOSED HIS EARS AS BORIS BECKER FROM HOLE 8 WAS SHOUTING OUT HIS NAME 'DER KAISER' CHEEKILY!

KASSANDRA KASSIM ASKS THE EMPEROR TO SIGN HIS AUTOGRAPH ON THE ADIDAS T-SHIRT FOR HER NEPHEW AS A GOOD AUNT SHOULD

HENRY GOLDING LENDS HIS BROAD SHOULDERS AS DESK

THERE---NOW OMAR WILL WORSHIP AUNT KASSANDRA FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE

KASSANDRA TRIES AND FAILS MISERABLY AS A GOLFER SO THIS WAS THE END OF HER REINVENTION OF HERSELF AS GOLFER AS SHE MISSED THE BALL BY A MILE (SEE BELOW)

MISSED BY A MILE

STILL MISSED

THE BALL FLEW 3 METRES

HENRY GOLDING TRIES HIS LUCK

NOTHING GREAT I AM AFRAID

STILL LOUSY

BOTH CONSOLE EACH OTHER

LET THEM COMMISERATE

MY BALL WAS THIS BIG