Franz Beckenbauer
The Emperor who redefined the sweeper role and conquered football as player and manager.
via Wikipedia: Franz Beckenbauer · see source
Franz Anton Beckenbauer (11 September 1945 – 7 January 2024) was a German professional football player, manager, and official. Nicknamed "der Kaiser" ("the Emperor"), he is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential players of all time. Beckenbauer was a versatile player who started out as a midfielder, but made his name as a centre-back. He is often credited as having invented the role of the modern sweeper (libero).
Quick Facts
- Full name
- Franz Anton Beckenbauer
- Born
- 11 September 1945
- Birthplace
- Munich, Germany
- Died
- 7 January 2024
- Place of death
- Salzburg, Austria
- Height
- 1.81 m / 5 ft 11 in
- Position
- Defender, sweeper
- Total caps
- 560
Lore & Background
Twice named European Footballer of the Year, Beckenbauer appeared 103 times for West Germany, playing in three FIFA World Cups and two European Championships. He is one of eleven players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the European Cup, and the Ballon d'Or. He is one of three men, along with Brazil's Mário Zagallo and France's Didier Deschamps, to have won the World Cup as a player and as a manager; he lifted the World Cup trophy as captain in 1974, and repeated the feat as a manager in 1990. He was the first captain to lift the World Cup and European Championship at the international level and the European Cup at the club level. He was named in the World Team of the 20th Century in 1998, the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002, the Ballon d'Or Dream Team in 2020, and the IFFHS All-time Men's Dream Team in 2021, and in 2004 was listed in the FIFA 100 of the world's greatest living players. In August 2024, the AIPS voted him as the third best footballer of the past 100 years after Pelé and Diego Maradona.
Reader's Guide
At club level with Bayern Munich, Beckenbauer won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1967 and three consecutive European Cups from 1974 to 1976. The latter feat made him the first player to win three European Cups as captain of his club. He became team manager and later president of Bayern Munich. After two spells with the New York Cosmos he was inducted into the US National Soccer Hall of Fame. Beckenbauer led Germany's successful bid to host the 2006 FIFA World Cup and chaired the organizing committee. He worked as a pundit for Sky Germany, and for 34 years as a columnist for the tabloid Bild, both until 2016. Beginning August 2016, he was investigated for fraud and money laundering in connection with the 2006 World Cup. The investigation was closed without a verdict in 2020 as the period for bringing a charge under the statute of limitations had expired.
Did You Know?
- Beckenbauer started playing football at age nine with the youth team of SC Munich '06 in 1954.
- He originally supported 1860 Munich but joined Bayern Munich's youth team in 1959 after a contentious tournament match.
- He made his debut for Bayern Munich on the left wing against FC St. Pauli on 6 June 1964.
- Beckenbauer won 103 caps and scored 14 goals for West Germany.
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