Germans eye replacements for Beckenbauer

The German Football Federation (DFB) will in January nominate a candidate to replace Franz Beckenbauer on FIFA’S executive committee, it was revealed Friday.

Both DFB president Theo Zwanziger and Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge are both in the frame to be named as candidates by the Germans, according to reports in the media.

Beckenbauer’s successor will then be named on May 22 in Paris at the 35th UEFA Congress. The successful candidate can come from any of the European nations and will hold a seat on the FIFA committee as UEFA’s representative.

Beckenbauer said Thursday he will not stand for re-election to the executive committee of world football’s governing body FIFA to spend more time with his family.

The 65-year-old Beckenbauer has already suggested in the German press that Zwanziger would make a good candidate to replace him but Zwanziger, also 65, has yet to put himself forward as a candidate.

“We regret Franz’s decision, but we also understand,” said Zwanziger.

“We will now calmly reflect on what we will do at the next DFB executive committee meeting.”

Having been elected to FIFA’s executive committee in 2007, Beckenbauer, who is currently married for the third time, has said he does not want to miss out on time with his family.

“If I were running for another term of four years, I would be almost 70 years old by the end of it,” Beckenbuaer told German daily Bild.

“My son Joel would be 14 years old, my daughter Francesca, would be 11, and once again I would not see my children grow up.

“I’ve missed it with the children from my first marriage, I do not want to repeat this mistake.”

Having captained Germany to the 1974 World Cup title and coached the side which won Italia 1990, Beckenbauer said he had started to lose interest in the role with FIFA.

“When you feel that you no longer want to travel, it’s better to stop,” he said.

Beckenbauer said FIFA president Sepp Blatter had attempted to talk him into changing his mind, but to no avail.

‘The Kaiser’ had already left his position as president of Bayern Munich in late 2009 in an effort to scale back the amount of travel he does.