German Football Legend Franz Beckenbauer Dies at 78
- tz.de
Germany – Franz Beckenbauer, who led West Germany to World Cup glory as both captain and manager, has passed away at the age of 78.
Beckenbauer, nicknamed 'Der Kaiser,' won the World Cup with his country as a player in 1974 and as a manager in 1990 – also playing nearly 600 matches for the German giants Bayern Munich.
He was regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. His family confirmed the news in a statement on Monday, local time.
Franz Beckenbauer
- sportgate.de
"With deep sadness, we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, peacefully passed away in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family. We kindly request you to mourn in silence and refrain from asking any questions," the Family stated.
Beckenbauer almost missed out on becoming a world champion for the first time in 1966 when West Germany was defeated 4-2 in extra time by England at London's Wembley Stadium.
His first triumph occurred eight years later on home soil when West Germany defeated the Netherlands – captained by football legend Johan Cruyff – 2-1 in Munich.
"Cruyff was a better player, but I won the World Cup," Beckenbauer said.
Then, in 1990, his team overcame Diego Maradona-led Argentina 1-0 in Rome, making him the second person to win the World Cup as both a player and later as a manager after Brazil's Mario Zagallo, while Didier Deschamps has since achieved the same feat with France.
Beckenbauer was a classy and dominant player for West Germany and Bayern Munich in the 1960s and 70s, employing composure in ball control and easy distribution to play the role of a sweeper in central defense, where he found his greatest success.
He amassed 103 caps for West Germany, winning the 1972 European Championship, which happened four years before his World Cup victory on home soil.
His Bayern Munich side was the best club team in the world during the mid-1970s, winning three consecutive European Cups and three consecutive Bundesliga titles, with Beckenbauer himself twice named European Footballer of the Year.
After coaching, Beckenbauer moved into football administration but in 2016, he was fined by FIFA's ethics committee for failing to cooperate in the investigation of corruption in the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.