Beckenbauer: Then we move to Italy

[olafgb]

Bayern Munich's President Franz Beckenbauer put the German Soccer League (DFL) in the affair about the secret contract with Kirch Media under pressure and openly threatened with moving the German record champion to Italy.

If DFL demands the repayment of the secretly cashed 21.5 M Euro, "then Bundesliga can see how they do without us. Then we are going to Italy and play against Juventus, Milan and Rome", explained Beckenbauer to BILD.

Theoretically a move to Serie A would be possible. If both associations agree, then UEFA would check the case. But an UEFA speaker declared on a sid-question that "basically we have the opionion that the clubs should play in their country."

DFL did not want to comment it. The speaker of the Italian League Association, Fabio Santoro, excluded a change of FC Bayern to Serie A. "Our structure is like a pyramid. Only clubs from Serie B can promote to Serie A."

Under no circumstances Beckenbauer wants to accept a punishment. "They don't get a single cent. The league did not lose anything with out Kirch agreement. If at all, they can do us the reproach of not telling the contract." [excellent, Mr. Beckenbauer, exactly his can cause a punishment from fine to retaking the licence according to the statutes you signed]

Also Bayern Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge lately stressed that "it is very realistic that nothing at all happend." DFL also does not comment that. "It is a current trial. We don't let ourselves put under pressure. We will check the facts and tell the result when we have a final evaluation", said DFL manager Wilfried Straub.

Two weeks ago, Munich sent the questionaire back to DFL. DFL ordered an external law firm to check it. The league does not want to offer space for attacks as DFL Lawyer Dr. Thomas Summerer has been Sat.1 lawyer for several years and was close to Kirch because of that.

Lately Bayern GM Uli Hoeneß even said "that once again many will have to apologise". [why once again? When did someone apologise?]

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For me Beckenbauer scored a classical own goal. He now has the certainty that his threat is absoluty worth nothing as nobody wants them in their league (and also if, it would be very questionable if it is a good deal for Bayern). And also he put DFL under pressure - problem: DFL was founded exactly for this reason as DFB lost all credibility in their jurisdiction. Now anyone expects a punishment as otherwise everyone would say that DFL just did not punish them because of the pressure.

[domingo]

Go ahead! I won´t stop Bayern! Please leave us alone! :)
A typical Beckenbauer:Talk first, think later!

domingo

[panicfc]

Beckenbauer seems more stupid than I imagined.

I think Bayern should be relegated for this action and fined 30 Million Euros.

But then again, I hate Bayern.

[cjma77]

Sounds good to me, the Bundesliga is to easy, i'd like to see them go on a world tour or something, but Italy might be a nice vacation.

[worldsoccer-Jeff]

Ever since Otto the Great, the Germans just cant leave Italy alone.

[Syncope]

Theoretically, it would be very interesting to see Bayern compete in a very strong league. There is no way that Bayern would ever have a run-away season like the one they are currently enjoying. It's unlikely they'd even finish among the first three teams. While any team can beat any other team on any given day, in Germany there are maybe two teams that can regularly compete with Bayern. All other teams may surge for a season or two, but usually cool-off thereafter. In Italy there would be 7 or 8 teams (Juventus, Inter, Milan, Parma, Lazio, Roma, + 1 or 2 others) that would regularly challenge Bayern. It would be fantastic to watch, and would make Bayern a very strong team ("What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."), but it would be destructive to league soccer in general.

Which is exactly why Beckenbauer said what he did. This is nothing more than a threat to officials to leave Bayern alone, a typical example of Beckenbauer talking out of his ass. One has to conclude that there is something terribly wrong with the Kirch contract for Beckenbauer to make this statement. However, on closer examination, there's no reason Bayern would want to move to the Italian league. The BL is very relaxing for Bayern, and assures high earnings to the club. While Serie A would be a fantastic sporting challenge, it would be a financial disaster to the club.

[panicfc]

It might be more competitive in Germany if they had level playing field.

I am not a fan of Bayern, despise them more than any other team, and the latest stunt with Kirsch is over the top in my opinion.

30 Million Euros over the past few years may have been enough to keep Kirsch operating and the money rolling in for the entire league.

Franz' s blast was just a empty threat, and was just his way of saying "We don't need the rest of you lot, we're bigger better, and we cheat bigger and better than you could ever hope to imagine".

[e_k1]

This is typical rubbish from Beckenbauer. The man's arrogance is stunning. I remember when the people of Munich were asked to vote on whether or not the city would build a new stadium for Bayern (and 1860), Franz came out before polling day and said if Munich's taxpayers voted no, Bayern would leave Munich! I wisjed they had of voted no and called his bluff. I was trying to imagine the mighty FC Bayern Augsburg or FC Bayern Ulm!!

[olafgb]

Originally posted by e_k1
This is typical rubbish from Beckenbauer. The man's arrogance is stunning. I remember when the people of Munich were asked to vote on whether or not the city would build a new stadium for Bayern (and 1860), Franz came out before polling day and said if Munich's taxpayers voted no, Bayern would leave Munich! I wisjed they had of voted no and called his bluff. I was trying to imagine the mighty FC Bayern Augsburg or FC Bayern Ulm!!

Beckenbauer has the problem that everywhere he goes there are microphones. Sometimes he contradicts himself two minutes after a statement. The stadium matter was different though. Bayern needs a new stadium, that's more than clear. In the latest kicker stadium rating, only Cottbus and Mönchengladbach finished worse. And it's just natural that they'd have gone to the outskirts with a new stadium if Munich's citizens had voted against it. They wouldn't have moved to another big cities, but simply somewhere to the landscape around Munich. That was no threat and had just been a logical consequence

[olafgb]

Originally posted by e_k1
This is typical rubbish from Beckenbauer. The man's arrogance is stunning. I remember when the people of Munich were asked to vote on whether or not the city would build a new stadium for Bayern (and 1860), Franz came out before polling day and said if Munich's taxpayers voted no, Bayern would leave Munich! I wisjed they had of voted no and called his bluff. I was trying to imagine the mighty FC Bayern Augsburg or FC Bayern Ulm!!

Beckenbauer has the problem that everywhere he goes there are microphones. Sometimes he contradicts himself two minutes after a statement. The stadium matter was different though. Bayern needs a new stadium, that's more than clear. In the latest kicker stadium rating, only Cottbus and Mönchengladbach finished worse. And it's just natural that they'd have gone to the outskirts with a new stadium if Munich's citizens had voted against it. They wouldn't have moved to another big cities, but simply somewhere to the landscape around Munich. That was no threat and had just been a logical economical consequence.

This here is a different matter. After a DFL judgement, the league can go to an ordinary court and start foreclosing it if Bayern doesn't pay. This is a legal matter and Beckenbauer has no clue about it. He is not in the situation to demand anything and usually it doesn't help you if you start cursing the judge in a trial...

[e_k1]

I remember that incident quite clearly and it was very much a case of "Vote yes or we're off". That was enough to scare every Bayern fan in the city down to the polling office to cast their vote, which was subsequently carried easily. He wasn't talking about just moving to the 'outskirts' (thats where the new staduim is being built right now!), but leaving Munich altogether. And where would he have gone? FC Bayern Erding? Somewhere in the middle of the Bayerische Landschaft?

You may argue that was the right thing to do, I say it shows he is a complete mercenary who cares little for the city which gave him the club he has today.

[olafgb]

Originally posted by e_k1
I remember that incident quite clearly and it was very much a case of "Vote yes or we're off". That was enough to scare every Bayern fan in the city down to the polling office to cast their vote, which was subsequently carried easily. He wasn't talking about just moving to the 'outskirts' (thats where the new staduim is being built right now!), but leaving Munich altogether. And where would he have gone? FC Bayern Erding? Somewhere in the middle of the Bayerische Landschaft?

You may argue that was the right thing to do, I say it shows he is a complete mercenary who cares little for the city which gave him the club he has today.

Any Bayern fan and any reasonable person must have voted yes anyway. The alternative was Erding or some other small city in the region around Munich, but never something like Augsburg. Of course the name still would be Bayern Munich, that's also typical in the US I think (e.g. NY Giants in East Rutherford, NJ). In this case I wouldn't have acted differently - the voters must be aware that it's either new stadium or the tax income will leave to some small city; that's part of the decision.

[Mattbro]

I say good riddance. The Bundesliga would be way more interesting without BAyern anyway.

Or they could move to the Austrian Bundesliga!

[e_k1]

Originally posted by olafgb
Any Bayern fan and any reasonable person must have voted yes anyway.

Probably, I think the result was 80-20 yes, but many Munich taxpayers (who are paying for the new stadium) do not like the idea of their money being used for Beckenbauer and the rest of the Bayern millionaires.

[hemariva]

And this is the man running the World Cup? YIKES!

[olafgb]

Originally posted by hemariva
And this is the man running the World Cup? YIKES!

No criticism or Beckenbauer moves the WC to Italy ;)

[panicfc]

He really can't screw up the WC, plus I'm looking forward to my trip to Germany in 2006.

[MarioKempes]

Originally posted by olafgb
Beckenbauer has the problem that everywhere he goes there are microphones.

George Bush has the same problem. :D

[Syncope]

Beckenbauer is good at all things soccer: playing, managing, organizing. He just should shut up about business.

[panicfc]

Originally posted by MarioKempes
George Bush has the same problem. :D

But he's not running anything as important as a World Cup

:D

(just kidding boys)