Beckenbauer, Hoeneß Offered Solace to 1860 Munich‘s Kioyo After Crucial Penalty Miss
MUNICH – In a moment etched in TSV 1860 Munich lore as the catalyst for their 2004 relegation, striker kioyo revealed he received support only from Bayern Munich figures Franz Beckenbauer and Uli Hoeneß following his missed penalty against hertha BSC on May 15, 2004.the miss, in the 89th minute, sealed 1860’s fate, leaving them three points from safety before a final defeat at Mönchengladbach confirmed their drop to the second division after a decade in the Bundesliga.
Kioyo, then 23, described a chilling lack of support from his own teammates in an ARD documentary, stating, “I look around, nobody wants the ball. Where were the players who were supposed to take the penalty? They ran backwards on the field. Nobody had the courage to shoot.” He further detailed the devastating aftermath, including racist hostility and death threats, leaving him feeling utterly alone. “I was alone in the evening, all alone, no one came forward, no teammate – no one.”
Following the match, Kioyo received a text message not from his club president, but from Beckenbauer, then Bayern’s boss, reading: “At least you showed courage. Hold your head up,boy.” Hoeneß, Bayern’s honorary president, also reached out, a gesture he explained in the documentary: “Franz and I were players ourselves and I also missed penalties myself, as everyone knows. It’s also appropriate to tell the person how sorry you are - because that’s almost fate.” Hoeneß added, “I don’t no if I’m allowed to say that. That was Uli hoeneß.”
Kioyo remained with 1860 briefly after relegation,making a single appearance in a 2-0 win against Eintracht Trier before departing for Rot-Weiss Essen. The missed penalty continues to resonate with Kioyo, who now, at 46, reflects on the incident as life-altering.
