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Beckenbauer Commemoration Should Be Held in Stadium, Says Rummenigge 

Franz Beckenbauer, center, team captain of the winning German national soccer team at the 1974 world soccer championship presents the trophy in Munich's, Olympic stadium in Germany, July 7, 1974. (AP)
Franz Beckenbauer, center, team captain of the winning German national soccer team at the 1974 world soccer championship presents the trophy in Munich's, Olympic stadium in Germany, July 7, 1974. (AP)
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Beckenbauer Commemoration Should Be Held in Stadium, Says Rummenigge 

Franz Beckenbauer, center, team captain of the winning German national soccer team at the 1974 world soccer championship presents the trophy in Munich's, Olympic stadium in Germany, July 7, 1974. (AP)
Franz Beckenbauer, center, team captain of the winning German national soccer team at the 1974 world soccer championship presents the trophy in Munich's, Olympic stadium in Germany, July 7, 1974. (AP)

German football fans should fill Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena to properly commemorate the life of Germany great Franz Beckenbauer, who died aged 78 on Sunday, former team mate and ex-Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said on Tuesday.

Beckenbauer, who was Germany's first truly global sports star and led them to the World Cup title as player and coach in 1974 and 1990 respectively, had become part of the country's social fabric in a hugely successful career on and off the pitch spanning over 50 years.

Beckenbauer, considered one of the best players of all-time, won 103 caps and captained West Germany to World Cup success in 1974, two years after lifting the European title.

He also headed the organizing committee for the 2006 World Cup held in Germany.

"The whole world of football and beyond is grieving for our friend Franz," Rummenigge, who played alongside Beckenbauer at Bayern Munich in the 1970s, told Bild newspaper.

Rummenigge, a former longtime Bayern CEO, was West Germany's captain under coach Beckenbauer in the 1986 World Cup where they lost to Argentina in the final.

"As a thank you and in remembrance FC Bayern should organize a commemoration in the stadium which would not have existed without him," he said.

Beckenbauer was part of the mighty Bayern Munich team who won three consecutive European Cups from 1974-76 among other titles. He became the team coach and club president after his playing career, establishing the German champions as one of the most successful and valuable brands in European soccer.

The club, under the presidency of Beckenbauer, left the ageing Olympic stadium and moved to their purpose-built Allianz Arena in 2006.

A stadium ceremony is not the only proposal to remember the "Kaiser", a nickname he earned for his playing style and vision of the game.

Fellow 1974 World Cup winner Bertie Vogts suggested renaming the German Cup the Beckenbauer Cup to ensure his memory lives on.

"Maybe the German FA (DFB) should consider renaming for example the German Cup after Franz Beckenbauer," Vogts told the Rheinische Post newspaper.

"It is important that his name is not forgotten by the football generations that follow."

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Chicago Bulls Plan to Retire Derrick Rose’s Jersey Next Season

Former Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose speaks to the audience during a half-time celebration for Derrick Rose Night at the United Center on January 4, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Getty Images North America / Getty Images via AFP)
Former Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose speaks to the audience during a half-time celebration for Derrick Rose Night at the United Center on January 4, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Getty Images North America / Getty Images via AFP)
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Chicago Bulls Plan to Retire Derrick Rose’s Jersey Next Season

Former Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose speaks to the audience during a half-time celebration for Derrick Rose Night at the United Center on January 4, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Getty Images North America / Getty Images via AFP)
Former Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose speaks to the audience during a half-time celebration for Derrick Rose Night at the United Center on January 4, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Getty Images North America / Getty Images via AFP)

Derrick Rose wasn't sure how he will feel when sees his No. 1 hanging from the rafters. He was still trying to process the news.

The Chicago Bulls announced Saturday they plan to retire Rose's jersey sometime next season. The Chicago product and MVP will join Michael Jordan (23), Scottie Pippen (33), Jerry Sloan (4) and Bob Love (10) as the only players whose numbers have been retired by the team.

Team president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf informed him in person on Saturday morning, telling him “nobody’s wearing that No. 1 jersey again” unless son PJ plays for the team. Rose, who retired in September after 16 seasons, was already scheduled to be honored with tributes before and during their game against the New York Knicks that night. The Bulls said they will have more details about the jersey retirement at a later date.

“Tonight is not about that,” Rose said. He said it was about showing appreciation for “everybody that was a part of the story, the journey, the good, the bad, the ugly.”

“It's celebrating everyone,” he said. “I understand coming from Chicago that it's tough love. It's a lot of tough love. You could forget about the love sometimes and just give toughness. Coming back, me being raised off of that tough love, I just wanted to show the love part. There's toughness, too, but you don't have to be tough all the time. It's understanding and realizing why I'm here.”

Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement: “Derrick is both a hometown hero and a symbol of an entire era of Bulls basketball."

On Saturday, the Bulls unveiled the “Derrick Rose Experience” in the United Center’s atrium showcasing memorabilia from his career. Players on both teams wore themed shooting shirts displaying “1.4.25” symbolizing the date as well as the numbers he wore with the Bulls, Knicks and at Chicago's Simeon Career Academy. Black T-shirts emblazoned with a red rose were at each seat. There were to be moments throughout the game recognizing Rose, his family and teammates.

At halftime, Rose walked out to those familiar “MVP! MVP!” chants after a highlight video played. He took a seat next to his mom, Brenda. He broke down when former teammate Joakim Noah told him he “always put your city on your back” and said he's “the people's champ.” Another video narrated by PJ was shown before Rose addressed the crowd.

“So well deserved,” New York's Tom Thibodeau, who coached Rose in his prime with the Bulls as well as in New York and Minnesota, said before the game. “For what he means to the city, the Bulls, the entire NBA. I had the opportunity to coach against him, so I know how difficult that is. I had the good fortune to coach him. You see in looking in the eyes of the opponent, when they had to guard him you could see the fear and the respect.”

Thibodeau said Rose — known for his humility almost as much as his explosiveness — was “probably the most beloved player in the league.” He also said he belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Rose, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft, went from being Rookie of the Year to an All-Star to NBA MVP in his first three seasons. He remains the league's youngest MVP, winning it when he was 22.

A major knee injury during the 2012 playoffs forced him to miss almost two full seasons and he contemplated stepping away from the game several times following other injury issues.

Rose averaged 17.4 points and 5.2 assists in 723 regular-season games. He averaged 21 points per game before the ACL tear 12 years ago and 15.1 per game in the seasons that followed. But he insisted he doesn't think about what might have been if not for the injuries.

“The last time I had those conversations was years and years ago,” he said. “Who knows? But at the same time, with me being obsessed, I wouldn't have found out who I was as a person. I was obsessed with the game. Not love, I was obsessed. If I would have won one championship, I would have wanted four. And that would have pulled me further and further away from finding self-knowledge, self-revelation, my identity. Everybody's story is different. For some reason, mine ended being this way. Coming from Chicago, we roll with the punches.”