“He’s not just another player, he’s an icon,” the former Bayern Munich player told reporters.
“There are players that have their own dimension and their own magnitude, like Pele, (Johan) Cruyff, (Diego) Maradona.
“Beckenbauer is one of them. . . I was lucky enough to meet him several times when I was in Munich and he is very important for the club, for German football, as a player, as a coach and as a personality. “
Beckenbauer died on Sunday in Salzburg, Austria, with his family announcing the news on Monday.
The Munich-born Beckenbauer won the World Cup as player and coach amid a glittering career as one of the game’s finest.
He will be laid to rest on Friday at a private ceremony in Munich, while Bayern are planning a public commemoration at their Allianz Arena stadium on January 19.
“He will be remembered, not forgotten because he is so big, so influential.
“We are disappointed, but we must be happy that we had such wonderful personalities in football.
“Beckenbauer is one of those selected. That’s a lot, I’d say no more than 10. “
Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen are top of the Bundesliga standings, four points ahead of Bayern, who have a game in hand.