BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The late German football great Franz Beckenbauer is to
be honoured with a statue in front to Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena,
the Kurt Landauer foundation said on Sunday.

Beckenbauer, who died on January 7, is to be cast in bronze in an
elegant pose as the conductor of the game on a pedestal in the shape
of the rhombus of the Bavarian flag.

The Kurt Landauer foundation was also responsible for Gerd Müller's
statue, which was placed at the esplanade of the Allianz Arena.
Thanks to previous experience, the organization expects the
Beckenbauer project to take around 18 month.

'The elegant captain Franz and his friend Gerd Müller will then
together cast their shadows positively on the present day, and the
awareness of our great club history will be carried on into the next
generations,' Christian Kröll from the Kurt Landauer Foundation said.

The foundation set up a campaign to take donations from Bayern fans
and fan clubs for the project.

Bayern and Germany great Beckenbauer redefined the sweeper role, won
countless titles with the club and was their president later. He
lifted the World Cup as a player and coach, and brought the 2006
World Cup to Germany.

Bayern Munich CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said at the end of January
that a statue of Beckenbauer will fit well next to Müller's memorial.


Copyright dpa