On June 22, 1974, the Federal Republic of Germany lost to the GDR at the Volkspark Stadium in Hamburg. Jürgen Sparwasser's goal shocked Franz and his team, but became a turning point on the way to the eventual World Cup title.
The atmosphere was loaded. Just six weeks earlier, the Guillaume affair had forced the resignation of Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt. The Cold War was felt in full force, and suddenly he was standing in the middle of the lawn.
The GDR had gone into the tournament closely monitored by the Stasi, the players were trained and controlled to nip any idea of escape in the bud. But that evening they appeared liberated, unlike the West Germans, who developed camp fever behind high fences in Malente. While the GDR soccer players signed autographs and went on trips, the Federal Republic of Germany appeared cumbersome, inhibited and powerless.
Then came the 77th minute. Erich Hamann brought the ball forward, Jürgen Sparwasser followed suit. It was actually a failed run, the ball jumped against his nose and changed the trajectory. But suddenly he was through, ran freely towards Sepp Maier and picked the ball into the goal. 1:0 for the GDR. A goal that became a symbol, a stab in the self-image of the big favorite.
Franz, the captain and leader, stood stunned on the lawn. “We were shocked by our constitution,” he said later. Whistles accompanied the team off the field; the defeat was seen as a humiliation. Some rumored that they had deliberately lost in order to avoid the Netherlands and Brazil in the intermediate round. But players like Berti Vogts resolutely disagreed: For Helmut Schön, the national coach from Dresden, they absolutely wanted to win.
For the GDR, it was the biggest moment in their soccer history. But in the intermediate round, the East Germans failed because of the greats of world soccer and were eliminated indiscriminately and soundlessly.
For Germany, on the other hand, the defeat became a wake-up call. That same evening in Malente, far away from the cameras, Franz picked up the reins. In a heated team meeting, he “cleaned everyone down,” as he explained later. Unity was born out of frustration and shame, and the “spirit of Malente” was born. From that moment on, Beckenbauer led his team not only as a libero, but also as a strategist and spokesperson.
As paradoxical as it sounds, the 0-1 against the GDR was the beginning of the triumph. Two weeks later, Franz won the World Cup trophy at the Munich Olympic Stadium. The Hamburg game, which initially shook the Federal Republic of Germany, thus became a turning point and a legend. It showed how Franz was more than just a player back then: he was a leader who brought the team together at the darkest moment.
