GERMANY: Beckenbauer escapes for secret wedding.

Record ID: 335517

  • Title: GERMANY: Beckenbauer escapes for secret wedding.
  • Date: 24th June 2006
  • Summary: LEIPZIG, GERMANY (JUNE 24, 2006) (REUTERS) WIDE INTERIOR VIEW OF LEIPZIG TRAIN STATION PAIR OF MEXICAN FANS WITH DRAPED MEXICAN FLAGS AROUND THEIR SHOULDERS CLOSEUP OF FOOTBALL ON GROUND HEADLINES OF BILD NEWSPAPER REFERRING TO SECRET WEDDING CEREMONY OF FRANZ BECKENBAUER, PRESIDENT OF FIFA WORLD CUP ORGANISING COMMITTE (SOUNDBITE)(German) FOOTBALL FAN THORSTEN ROESSLER T
  • Embargoed: 9th July 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAFTR0SEAGT1VXJZ5R8BRCAS7Z
  • Story Text: Franz Beckenbauer took time out from running the World Cup to get married in a clandestine ceremony in the Austrian Alps.
    The head of Germany's organising committee, who has used a helicopter to attend up to three matches a day, exchanged vows in a private ceremony in a small Austrian village near Kitzbuehel, Bild newspaper reported on Saturday (June 24).
    Beckenbauer told the newspaper that published photos of the secret wedding ceremony: "It was supposed to be a day for just us without any stress or troubles."
    "We wanted to avoid all the commotion. No one expected us to get married in the middle of the World Cup," added Beckenbauer, 60, who has two children with the new Mrs. Beckenbauer -- formerly known as Heidi Burmester, 39.
    Jens Grittner, a senior spokesman for the German organising committee, said he was as surprised as anyone when he saw the reports, covering the paper's front and back pages.
    Burmester was a secretary at Bayern Munich and their relationship began at a Christmas party. She fell pregnant, he later left his wife and Beckenbauer disarmed criticism about his infidelity by telling Bild: "The good Lord is happy about every newborn child."
    Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup as a player in 1974 and coach in 1990, has attended 32 of the 48 group matches the last two weeks and aims to see 48 of the 64 played by the final on July 9.
    He was seen in the stands in Hamburg recently for the afternoon match at 3 p.m., then in Nuremberg in time for the evening kickoff at 6 p.m. and still made it to Berlin for the day's third match at 9 p.m.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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