Football Legend Franz Beckenbauer Passes Away at 78

 Football Legend Franz Beckenbauer Passes Away at 78

West Germany manager Franz Beckenbauer pictured standing with the West Germany team during the anthems before the 1986 FIFA World Cup final game between Argentina and West Germany at the Azteca stadium in Mexico City, Mexico on 29th June 1986. Argentina would go on to win the game 3-2 to become champions.(Image-Getty)

Franz Beckenbauer, one of the greatest footballers of all time, has died. He is one of the three footballers who have won the World Cup as a player and a coach. The legendary German footballer was 78 years old. His family said in a statement today that 'Kaiser' died yesterday.

GERMANY OUT) football, Bundesliga, 1976/1977, Georg Melches Stadium, Rot Weiss Essen versus FC Bayern Munich 1:4, scene of the match, team leader Franz Beckenbauer in ball possession(Image-Getty)

This iconic German footballer won the World Cup title for West Germany in 1974 as captain and in 1990 as coach. He played a total of 103 matches for Germany. In addition, Beckenbauer also won a hat-trick of European Cups for Bayern Munich in the 1970s. He is also recognized as one of the best defenders of all time, en route to adding great feathers to his crown of success throughout his career.

Franz Beckenbauer poses for a photo during the 30th anniversary celebration of the German World Cup win at 1990 on October 10, 2020 at hotel Il Pelagone in Grosseto, Italy. The FIFA Italia '90 World Cup Final tournament was won by the West German team. The final between West Germany and Argentina took place on 8 July 1990 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy(Image-Getty)

Known as the 'Kaiser' or 'Emperor', Beckenbauer could dominate the defense. He was also unique in the role of a modern sweeper or libero, starting from possession of the ball.

Beckenbauer, who worked first as a coach and later as an organizer after leaving the game, was also accused of corruption. He was accused of corruption in the 2006 World Cup. The allegation was that a German bidding committee had set up a fund to buy the votes of FIFA members scheduled to host the 2006 World Cup. And Beckenbauer was the head of this bidding committee. In March 2017, he was questioned by Swiss prosecutors over the allegations. Barring this negative chapter in life, the rest of Beckenbauer's life was one of achievement and achievement.

Beckenbauer was born in September 1945 in Giesling, Munich. This German was a fan of '1860 Munich' as a child. But for age-based football, he chose Bayern, another club in Munich. Initially he was a center forward. He made his professional football debut for Bayern in 1964. At that time the club was playing in the second tier of Germany. During his time at Bayern, he started playing in midfield and later as a defender. Beckenbauer also helped Bayern to rise to the Bundesliga. He was then named team captain in the 1968–69 season and led the team to its first Bundesliga title.

He also led Bayern from the front to a hat-trick of domestic league titles between 1972-74. At this time, Bayern became an irresistible team in European football. A hat-trick of European titles between 1974-76 has already been mentioned.

At the age of 20, he made his debut for West Germany in a World Cup qualifier against Sweden. In the 1966 World Cup, however, West Germany had to be content with being the runner-up after losing to the host England in the final. German football also entered its golden age at that time. West Germany won the European Championship in 1972. And after two years comes the much-desired football World Cup.

Beckenbauer's path to all these team successes has also been enriched by personal achievements. This defender won the Ballon d'Or in 1972 and 1976. Beckenbauer retired from football in 1983. Beckenbauer previously played alongside arguably the greatest footballer of all time, Pele, at the New York Cosmos. Beckenbauer immediately took over as coach of West Germany the same year after finishing his playing career.

No previous experience, but it was not a problem. Beckenbauer led the team to the final of the 1986 World Cup for the first time. However, West Germany could not cope with the superhuman football of another superstar Diego Maradona. You have to be satisfied with being the runner-up. But four years later, Beckenbauer won the World Cup as a coach by defeating Argentina. This experience of winning the World Cup as a player and coach was then only the Brazilian legend Mario Zagallo. And then France's Didier Deschamps did it.

Beckenbauer's career as a coach did not stop there, however. Beckenbauer then won the 1990-91 Ligue 1 title at French club Marseille. And in the 1993-94 season, he brought the Bundesliga title to Bayern as a coach. Beckenbauer later led the same club to the UEFA Cup title in the 1995-96 season. At the end of his coaching career, Beckenbauer also served as Bayern's president and vice-president of the German Football Association.