FINAL CURTAIN: Franz Beckenbauer's last European Cup final, Bayern 2, Saint-Etienne 1, 1976

IF BAYERN Munich's players are in need of inspiration tonight they can look to a higher power. Not to the Buddhist statuettes strategically placed around their dressing room by previous coach Jürgen Klinsmann, not even to the new dressing-room deity in town, Louis Van Gaal – who promptly booted said statuettes into the bin on his appointment as manager –, but to a spot somewhere in the director's seats high in the Santiago Bernabéu.

There will sit Franz Beckenbauer, a man woven into the fabric of Bayern Munich due to the three back-to-back European Cup titles he captained the Bavarian club to in the Seventies.

Beckenbauer's influence over Bayern may not stretch to any official capacity these days, but the former player, manager and president will undoubtedly be a powerful presence in the Spanish capital tonight.

'Der Kaiser' first burst onto the Bayern scene as a beanpole attacker in 1964, his impact was such he made the West German squad for the World Cup in 1966. Despite reinventing himself as an attacking sweeper, Beckenbauer ended the tournament join third-highest scorer as the Germans finished runners up. He would eventually get his hands on the World Cup in 1974.

Prior to lifting international football's greatest prize, Beckenbauer had gotten his hands on the club game's greatest accolade just months earlier as Bayern beat Atletico Madrid in a replayed European Cup final in Brussels. European Cup No2 followed a year later against Leeds United in Paris and astonishingly, a third – and Beckenbauer's last – was won in 1976.

Hampden Park played host to this important nugget of European football history and France's top side of the day, St Etienne, were the opponents. On the night, the French had the better of the chances. Dominique Bathenay hit the crossbar with keeper Sepp Maier beaten. Jacques Santini also came close. But in the 57th minute Beckenbauer nudged a free-kick to Franz Roth who fired in the winner in front of 54,864 fans.

Beckenbauer later won the 1990 World Cup as Germany manager as well as taking Bayern to a Bundesliga title and Uefa Cup win.