Football loses one of its greatest players. Former defender Franz Beckenbauer, world champion in 1974 with Germany, died on Sunday at the age of 78, his family announced to the DPA news agency on Monday. The “Kaiser”, renowned for his elegant style, also won the Euro in 1972 with the West German selection and was named Ballon d’Or twice, that year and in 1976. He achieved the essential of his club career under the colors of Bayern Munich where he won three Champions Leagues in a row (1974-1976).
Selected 103 times with his national team, the “Kaiser” also played in the 1966 World Cup final, lost against England (4-2, after extra time) at Wembley. Eight years later, he allowed his team to dominate (2-1) Johan Cruyff’s Netherlands in the final. One of the most famous images of his career is that of the semi-final of the 1970 World Cup, played with his arm in a sling against Italy. He also played in and lost the Euro 1976 final against Czechoslovakia.
Deschamps, only man alive to have won a World Cup as a player and coach
But Franz Beckenbauer was also successful as a coach. Coach of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990, he led the Mannschaft to the world title in Italy. He is one of three men to have won a World Cup as a technician and as a player, with Mario Zagallo and the Frenchman Didier Deschamps. With his disappearance and that of the Brazilian on January 5, the boss of the Blues is now the only man alive to have achieved this historic double
He also played on the bench at Olympique de Marseille from 1990 to 1991. The former central defender then began a management career. Chairman of the organizing committee for the World Cup played on German soil in 2006, he was also chairman of the supervisory board of Bayern Munich until 2009. Franz Beckenbauer had retired from public life in recent years due to health problems.
His death comes a little over a year after that of another football legend, Pelé. Several football personalities began to pay tribute to him a few minutes after his death, including former England striker Gary Lineker. “The Kaiser was the most handsome footballer who won everything with grace and elegance,” said the latter on X, formerly Twitter.
