Bayern Munich Retires Number 5 Kit in Honor of Franz Beckenbauer
- Number Retirement: Bayern Munich has retired the number 5 jersey to honor Franz Beckenbauer.
- Significance: This is the first time Bayern Munich has retired a player's shirt number.
- Rare Honor: Retiring shirt numbers is a rare practice among football clubs.
At today's FC Bayern's 2024 Annual General Meeting, the club announced that the iconic number 5 jersey will be retired to honor the late Franz Beckenbauer, a defining figure in the club’s history. President Herbert Hainer described Beckenbauer as the embodiment of Bayern’s success and humanity.
The last player to wear the number for Bayern was Benjamin Pavard, who played for the club until 2023.
It is very rare for football clubs to retire specific shirt numbers, and this is the first for Bayern Munich. Bayern players also do not wear the number 12, reserved for fans.
Other numbers that are retired are those od Diego Maradona (#10 for Napoli), Johan Cruyff (#14 for Ajax), and Paolo Maldini (#3 for AC Milan - the Number 3 jersey will only ever be worn again by a member of the Maldini family).
Do you like that Bayern honors Beckenbauer by retiring his number 5 kit? Let us know in the comments below.
