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Manchester Evening News

Manchester United legend represents club at Franz Beckenbauer memorial service

Man Utd paid tribute to Bayern Munich and Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer at a memorial event in Munich on Friday.

Alex Stepney at Manchesterplatz(Image: 2024 Manchester United FC)

Manchester United legend Alex Stepney was in attendance to represent his former club at the memorial service of Franz Beckenbauer at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

Bayern Munich and Germany legend Beckenbauer passed away this month at the age of 78, three months after good friend and United legend Sir Bobby Charlton died aged 86.

Ahead of the service, Stepney visited Manchesterplatz, the site of the 1958 Munich Air Disaster, to lay a wreath for former teammate Charlton and their great rival Beckenbauer.

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United and Bayern have always had a special relationship as two great clubs since the Munich Air Disaster and Stepney was honoured to represent his side at the memorial event.

“It’s a tremendous honour to be here today to represent Manchester United and all of the team-mates I played with who had such admiration for the great Franz Beckenbauer - not least our dear Sir Bobby Charlton," he said afterwards.

“I was also humbled to lay a wreath at the crash site to pay tribute to all those who lost their lives on that terrible night in February 1958, and to remember Sir Bobby, who was the last remaining survivor.“It was especially poignant that, at the moment I laid the wreath, snowflakes started to fall. It was exceptionally moving.”

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