Franz Beckenbauer has passed away after the legend’s health was worse for a long time. One who played with “Der Kaiser” in Bayern Munich was Conny Torstensson between the years 1973 and 1977.
– It is a football icon for everyone. He had such incredible insight. He had such control over where he had the ball in relation to everything else. I don’t know if it was split vision or if he had an ability that the rest of us didn’t have, says Torstensson and continues:
– It was very difficult to take the ball from him. He had such an authoritarian attitude. We weren’t very tough in training but I don’t think he got off the ball for three and a half years.
“Very, very likeable”
Torstensson remembers a benevolent and curious person.
– He was very, very likeable. He was one of those we talked to about things other than football. Beckenbauer was interested in what was happening in Sweden. Sweden stood out during the 70s and he was very interested in listening to it.
What is your strongest memory of Franz?
– It was after we won the European Cup in 1974 and I had just become a father a couple of hours before and I didn’t fly to Munich to celebrate. We parted at the airport and then Franz and Sepp Maier are standing and joking about seeing each other in the WC final in a couple of weeks. It’s a fun picture to remember.
Franz Beckenbauer was 78 years old.
SEE ALSO: SVT’s personal portrait of Franz Beckenbauer