Franz Beckenbauer

Franz Anton Beckenbauer was a famous German football player, manager, and official. People called him "der Kaiser" or "the Emperor." He is one of the greatest football players ever.

Beckenbauer started as a midfielder but became famous as a centre-back. He helped make the role of the modern sweeper, called libero, popular.

Beckenbauer played for West Germany 103 times. He played in three FIFA World Cups and two European Championships. He was named European Footballer of the Year twice. He is one of only ten players to win the FIFA World Cup, the European Cup, and the Ballon d'Or. He won the World Cup as a player in 1974 and as a manager in 1990.

At the club level, Beckenbauer played for Bayern Munich. He won the European Cup Winners' Cup and three European Cups in a row from 1974 to 1976. He later became the team's manager and president. He also played for the New York Cosmos and was inducted into the US National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Beckenbauer helped Germany get the rights to host the 2006 FIFA World Cup and chaired the organizing committee. He worked as a football commentator for Sky Germany and wrote a column for the newspaper Bild for 34 years.

Early life

Franz Anton Beckenbauer was born on September 11, 1945, in Munich, Germany. He was the younger of two brothers and grew up in a neighborhood called Giesing. His father didn’t like football much, but Beckenbauer started playing at nine years old with a local team.

He liked watching 1860 Munich play and wanted to join them. But during a big youth match, he had a disagreement with a player from that team. So he and his friends decided to join Bayern Munich's youth team instead.

When Beckenbauer was 18, his girlfriend became pregnant, but a coach spoke up for him and he was allowed back on the national youth team.

Club career

Franz Beckenbauer started playing football with Bayern in 1964. In his first year, the team won the Regional League South and moved up to the Bundesliga. Soon, Bayern became a strong team, winning the German Cup in 1967 and doing well in Europe. Beckenbauer became the team's captain and helped them win their first league title. He also played in a special position called the sweeper.

At Bayern Munich, the club won three league titles in a row from 1972 to 1974 and also won the European Cup three times. Fans and media called him "der Kaiser", meaning "the Emperor", because of his great skills and leadership.

In 1977, Beckenbauer joined the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League, playing with famous player Pelé. He stayed with the Cosmos for four seasons, helping them win the Soccer Bowl three times. He finished his career with Hamburger SV in Germany and then played one last season with the New York Cosmos in 1983.

International career

Beckenbauer played 103 matches and scored 14 goals for West Germany. He first played for the team in 1965 against Sweden and became a key player. He helped West Germany reach the World Cup final in 1966, where they came second. In 1970, they won third place, and in 1974, they became World Cup champions with Beckenbauer as their leader.

He also led West Germany to win the European Championship in 1972. In 1976, they reached the final again but lost. Beckenbauer stopped playing for the national team in 1977 at age 31 when he joined the New York Cosmos.

Style of play

Franz Beckenbauer was one of the greatest football players ever. He changed how defenders play by not just protecting his team's goal, but also helping start attacks with smart passes. His smooth skills made him important for Bayern Munich and the West Germany national team.

Early in his career, Beckenbauer played in the middle of the field. He was a great leader and always played fairly. He never got a red card in his time with Bayern.

Managerial career

Franz Beckenbauer became the manager of the West Germany national team in 1984. He took the team to the final of the 1986 World Cup, where they played against Argentina led by Diego Maradona.

In 1990, Beckenbauer managed the Germany national football team and won the World Cup, beating Argentina. He was one of the few people to win the World Cup as both a player and a manager. He later managed clubs like Marseille and Bayern Munich, winning important titles with Bayern Munich, including the Bundesliga and the UEFA Cup. He also helped Germany win the bid to host the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Financial controversies

FIFA inquiries and ban

In June 2014, Beckenbauer could not play football for 90 days. This was because he would not help with some questions about where big football games would be held. He asked for the questions in German and in writing. After he agreed to help, the ban ended. He was later given a warning and a small fine because he still did not help fully.

There were also questions about how Germany was chosen to host a big football event in 2006. During these checks, it was found that Beckenbauer received money linked to helping South Africa host a game in 2010. He also got money from a deal with a betting company, but taxes were not paid on it in Germany until later.

In 2021, the investigations about Beckenbauer ended because too much time had passed.

Alleged bribe from Russia

In 2019, some messages showed that Beckenbauer and his helper might have gotten money for supporting Russia to host a big football game in 2018.

Tax issues

In 1976, Beckenbauer had to pay a lot of money in taxes because a plan he used to avoid taxes was not allowed. In 1982, he moved to Austria where taxes were smaller. Later, he was fined for not paying taxes while living in Switzerland in the late 1970s.

Media

Franz Beckenbauer was very popular. He appeared in a funny sketch by Monty Python called "The Philosophers' Football Match". In the sketch, famous philosophers walked in circles and asked questions. This confused Beckenbauer.

In 2013, Beckenbauer starred in an advertisement for Samsung. He acted as the manager of a team called Galaxy XI. He chose players from all over the world and gave the captain's armband to Lionel Messi. Beckenbauer was also a special player in the EA Sports' FIFA video game series, especially in the FIFA 15 Ultimate Team Legends.

Personal life

Franz Beckenbauer was married three times and had five children. One of his children, Stephan, was also a professional footballer. Stephan's son Luca continues this family tradition and plays for SV Wacker Burghausen in the Regionalliga Bayern.

Beckenbauer was a practicing Catholic and believed strongly in life after death. He was also an honorary consul of Kosovo starting in 2011, helping support their efforts to join important football organizations.

Beckenbauer started a foundation in 1982 to help people who are disabled, sick, or in need. He gave money from his final football match to start the foundation, and over time, he helped raise more than 20 million euros to support many worthy causes.

Death

Franz Beckenbauer passed away on January 7, 2024, at the age of 78, after a natural illness. His family shared the news through a message to Deutsche Presse-Agentur. A memorial service was held at Allianz Arena on January 19.

Legacy

Franz Beckenbauer was one of the greatest football players ever. He was the only defender to win the Ballon d’Or, a top award for footballers, twice. He helped create a new defensive playing style called the modern sweeper, or libero, where the player helps both defend and attack. Beckenbauer won many honors, including being named European Footballer of the Year twice.

He was very important in Germany, winning the World Cup as a player in 1974 and as a manager in 1990. He also helped Germany get ready to host the 2006 World Cup. After he passed away in 2024, many people praised him as one of the best players ever. In honor of him, the address of Allianz Arena will change to “Franz Beckenbauer Platz 5” in May 2025.

Career statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Beckenbauer goal.

Managerial record

As of 22 January 2014

Honours

Franz Beckenbauer won many awards and honors in his career as a player and manager. As a player, he helped Bayern Munich win league titles, domestic cups, and European competitions. He also played for New York Cosmos and Hamburger SV, winning more titles. With the West German national team, he won the FIFA World Cup as a manager and reached the final as a player.

Beckenbauer received many individual awards for his skill, including the Ballon d’Or twice. He was also honored with special awards for his contributions to football, such as the FIFA Order of Merit and the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award.