Germany’s first black national team player, Erwin Kostedde, paid tribute to Franz Beckenbauer, recalling how Der Kaiser gave him the chance to play at Wembley.
Beckenbauer, widely regarded as one of the sport’s all-time greats after winning the World Cup as both a player and a manager, died aged 78 last weekend.
The iconic former footballer lifted the famous trophy as captain of West Germany in 1974 and as manager in 1990. He also played over 500 times for Bayern Munich.
Indeed, Kostedde says he has the late, great superstar to thank for his second international appearance in a friendly against England at Wembley in March 1975.
Erwin Kostedde (right), Germany’s first ever black player, paid tribute to Franz Beckenbauer
Beckenbauer won the World Cup twice with West Germany, once as a player and once as boss
Helmut Schon, manager of West Germany between 1964 and 1978, was set to leave Kostedde out for the game, only for Beckenbauer to seemingly change his mind.
Reflecting on a difficult dressing room atmosphere and his chance in the spotlight, Kostedde told dw.com: ‘Some of my team-mates were racists. When I went to the showers, then they looked… “What does the black guy do in our team?”
‘Beckenbauer spoke to me very well. I wasn’t supposed to play at Wembley against England. But Beckenbauer said, “You’re playing!” And I did.
‘I’ve played at Wembley. Beckenbauer did that. Otherwise I wouldn’t have.’
At the time, Beckenbauer remained ever-present for his country and retired two years later at the age of 31 after a move to New York Cosmos in the United States.
Kostedde, now 77, made his debut for Germany in December 1974 and would make two further appearances against England and Greece the following year.
The all-time great (seen in 2022) passed away at the age of 78 and tributes have flooded in
He is one of just nine men to have won the World Cup, the European Cup and the Ballon d’Or
Previously, he conceded he did not feel at ease in the international set-up.
‘Not everyone liked me. I could tell it,’ he added in his interview with dw.com. ‘Some didn’t speak to me at all. And I could feel some were racists by their behavior.’
Beckenbauer leaves behind his wife Heidi and four children.
His health had gradually declined after his son Stephan died in 2015. He had battled Parkinson’s disease and dementia and underwent heart operations.
A statement from his family to German news agency DPA read: ‘It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family.
‘We ask that you allow us to grieve in silence and refrain from asking any questions.’
Beckenbauer is survived by his wife Heidi, who he married in 2006, and four children
