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Franz Anton Beckenbauer (11 September 1945-7 January 2024) was a German professional football player, manager, and official.
Nicknamed der Kaiser, 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). 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 ten 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, 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 International Sports Press Association (AIPS) voted him as the third best footballer of the past 100 years after Pelé and Diego Maradona.
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 statute of limitations expired.
Franz Anton Beckenbauer was born on 11 September 1945 at a clinic in the Maxvorstadt borough of Munich, the second son of postal-worker Franz Beckenbauer Sr. and his wife Antonie (née Hupfauf).
Beckenbauer made his debut with Bayern in a Bundesliga promotion play-off match on the left wing against FC St. Pauli on 6 June 1964. In his first season in the Regionalliga Süd 1964-65, the team won the league and was eventually promoted to the Bundesliga.
Beckenbauer won 103 caps and scored 14 goals for West Germany. He made his debut in a World Cup qualification match against Sweden in Stockholm on 26 September 1965, with West Germany winning 2–1.
A complete player, Beckenbauer is regarded by many critics and fans as being one of the greatest players of all time and as Germany's greatest player ever.
Considered to have revolutionized the role of a sweeper in football, Beckenbauer was not only brilliant at helping out his fellow defenders and goalkeeper in their duties in protecting the goal from the opponents, but was also equally capable of offensive duties, often being the driving force of said attacks, with his passing range and elegant technique allowing him to operate as a playmaker for Bayern Munich and the West Germany national team. Beckenbauer was also a master of the one-two tactic, in which he'd pass the ball to a teammate and then go past an opponent to collect the ball.
More information: Franz Beckenbauer
The Germans and the English do not play like a Brazilian side.
They have to improve, bring up their young players,
who have character.
Franz Beckenbauer
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