When Sepp and Toni sing “It Takes Two”...

It’s generally said that in football, left-wingers and goalkeepers aren’t quite ‘all there’. Players in these positions are usually regarded as a bit mad, but also self-assured and sometimes completely off the wall.

There are countless examples on the pitch, but there have always been – and still are – stories that really take the biscuit when it comes to the reputation of this particular breed of player. We’d like to tell you one of them now.

In this story, we look back to the year 1997. Rod Stewart was working intensively that year on his album “When We Were The New Boy”, which was due to be released the following year.
He didn’t perform live much in 1997; he merely appeared at the American Music Awards in January, played at the Songs & Visions concert at London’s Wembley Stadium in August, and performed two shows at the Kremlin in Moscow in November. The singer’s focus in 1997 was clearly on completing his next album, and it was one of the quieter years in his long career.

Nevertheless, a Rod Stewart-related appearance on German television in May 1997 made headlines. What had happened?
The German broadcaster RTL had launched a successful music programme – the Mini Playback Show. On this programme, celebrities appeared dressed as rock and pop stars and covered their big hits, often in a humorous manner.

The guests on 24 May 1997 were the two German goalkeeping legends Sepp Maier (1974 World Cup winner) and Toni Schumacher (1982 and 1986 World Cup runner-up). For their performance, the duo had chosen, of all songs, “It Takes Two”, which Rod Stewart and Tina Turner produced in 1990 for a Pepsi Cola advert and which was released a year later on Stewart’s album “Vagabond Heart”.

We all remember the video in which Sir Rod, in a smart black suit, and Tina Turner, in a sexy little dress, rocked the song. And now two football goalkeepers were to step into their shoes. The only question remaining was which of the two would don Tina Turner’s sexy outfit. And the answer was obvious. Sepp Maier, always known for his humour and good humour, was transformed in make-up into arguably the sexiest Tina Turner German television has ever seen – apart from the original.

No comments have survived regarding the musical performance of the two gentlemen that evening, which leads us to assume that the singing skills of the two goalkeepers were not so far-fetched that one would still need to talk about them almost 30 years later. Unfortunately, despite extensive research, no video recordings of the performance are available, so we must content you with the photo shown at the start and, further down, at least include the original Pepsi video from 1990.

So, were you right?
I bet that when you opened this little story, you saw the cover image and wondered who on earth was trying to pass themselves off as a rock star. It was Sepp Maier, who played exclusively for FC Bayern Munich throughout his career until a serious car accident brought him to a halt. Alongside his playing career, Maier also frequently appeared in the guise of the Bavarian comedian and actor Karl Valentin, who died in 1948, showcasing his immense and often hilarious talent. So, playing the part of a wild-haired rock star was no problem at all for Sepp. And quite honestly, he really does look absolutely stunning in that Tina Turner outfit, doesn’t he? For comparison, you’ll find a photo of Sir Rod and Tina Turner from the official ‘It Takes Two’ video at the end of this text – so who do you think cut a better figure? The singer or the football goalkeeper?