Remembering a legend, the legacy of Franz Beckenbauer

• The football world recently lost a legend, Franz Beckenbauer, whose indelible mark on the sport stretches over decades
• Nicknamed Der Kaiser (The Emperor), Beckenbauer is widely regarded as one of the greatest players and managers in football history
• He passed away on 7 January, at the age of 78 due to natural causes

The football world recently lost a legend, Franz Beckenbauer, whose indelible mark on the sport stretches over decades. Beckenbauer, who is an icon in Germany, passed away on 7 January, at the age of 78 due to natural causes as per a report by his family.

Nicknamed Der Kaiser (The Emperor), Beckenbauer is widely regarded as one of the greatest players and managers in football history. He started his career as a midfielder but made a name for himself in the football world playing as a defender. Apart from winning titles while playing at club level and international level, the former Bayern Munich star also won numerous individual awards, including two Ballon d’Ors.

Franz Beckenbauer. Photo/ The Times.

Beckenbauer is one of the only three men to have lifted the World Cup as both a player and a manager. Brazil’s Mario Zagallo and France’s Didier Deschamps also achieved the feat. Zagallo died last week at the age of 92.

In this article, we will be remembering a legend, Franz Beckenbauer, who is arguably the greatest defender the world has ever seen.

Early Life

Born in Munich, Germany, Franz Beckenbauer was introduced to football at a young age and joined the youth team of SC Munich ’06 in 1954. Initially, the future Ballon d’Or winner played as a centre forward and idolized Fritz Walter, who won the World Cup with Germany in 1954. He spent the last few years of his youth career at Bayern Munich.

Meteoric Rise To Fame And Achievements 

On 6 June 1964, Beckenbauer made his senior debut with Bayern Munich is a Bundesliga promotion play-off match against FC St. Pauli. At the end of the season, Bayern claimed the league, which was the first of the many titles Beckenbauer won as a player.

Bayern received promotion to the Bundesliga, which offered an opportunity for Beckenbauer to show his skills at the top flight. Due to his dominant performance at the back, he became Bayern Munich’s captain and within no time, he had helped the team win the European Cup Winners’ Cup and three consecutive European Cups.

Beckenbauer became famous all over the world and by the time he was leaving Bayern Munich in 1977, he had won two Ballon d’Or awards, in 1972 and 1976. He finished runner-up two times, 1974 and 1975, and had ranked third in 1966.

Well, if you thought Beckenbauer won the Ballon d’Ors mainly because of his performance with Bayern Munich then you are mistaken. The legendary centre back was also a star in West Germany’s team and led Germany’s golden generation to the 1972 European Championship and triumph at the World Cup two years later.

After leaving Bayern Munich in 1977, Beckenbauer continued his club career at New York Cosmos where he spent four years and won the North American Soccer League three times. Following his return to Germany, he joined Hamburger SV and won his final title as a player in 1982. He retired the following year.

Transition To Coaching

Franz Beckenbauer. Photo/ Sky News.

After hanging his boots, Franz Beckenbauer transitioned to coaching and was appointed manager of the West Germany national team in September 1984. Two years later, he led the team to the final of the World Cup, where they lost to Diego Maradona‘s Argentina.

In a rematch of the World Cup final in 1990, he led West Germany to 1-0 triumph, and is one of the only three men to win the World Cup as a player and a manager. He then coached Marseille and Bayern Munich, winning titles with both teams.

The Personal Life Of Franz Beckenbauer

Franz Beckenbauer was born on 11 September 1945, and is the second son of postal-worker Franz Beckenbauer Sr and Antoine. Beckenbauer was married three times in his life. His first wife was Brigitte who he wed in 1966 and lived together for 24 years before deciding to part ways. He then married his second wife Sybille in 1990, but they divorced in 2004.

In 2006, Beckenbauer married Heidi and the couple lived together until his death. During his life, the former Bayern Munich star had five kids, including two with Heidi. His son Stephan, was also a professional footballer.