The Ukrainian Football Association sent a letter to the German Football Federation, expressing their sincerest condolences regarding the untimely death of football legend Mr. Franz Anton Beckenbauer.

"We assure you that Ukraine mourns with you and all football people around the world, sending our thoughts to the family of the legend and the entire German football family who had the privilege of presenting the world with its most outstanding defender in history, a two-time winner of the 'Golden Ball' (1972 and 1976), whose legacy on and off the field over many decades is unprecedented and immortal, — the letter states. — Of course, please accept special heartfelt condolences from Mr. Oleg Blokhin, a Ukrainian colleague of Mr. Franz Beckenbauer, who highly values personal memories of unforgettable episodes of football history in the 1970s that they both shared on the field during fantastic confrontations between FC 'Bayern Munich' and FC 'Dynamo' (Kyiv) for top European trophies, as well as when they captivated the world with their performances for national teams."

Symbolically, the letter was signed by three Ukrainian football legends, winners of the 'Golden Ball': Oleg Blokhin, Igor Belanov, and Andriy Shevchenko.