Beckenbauer to be honoured with statue at Bayern´s Allianz Arena

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, reported dpa.

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.