Munich (dpa) – Germany’s greatest football legend, Franz Beckenbauer, has died. He died at the age of 78, as his family announced. Nicknamed “der Kaiser” – the Emperor – he was one of the world’s greatest ever football players. He won the World Cup as both a player and a manager, and as an official brought the 2006 World Cup championship to Germany.
“Franz Beckenbauer was one of the greatest footballers in Germany and for many ‘der Kaiser’ – also because of the excitement for German football he created for generations,” wrote German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid tribute to him as “an exceptional phenomenon” and “outstanding ambassador of our country”.
Born in Munich, Beckenbauer already signed with FC Bayern Munich as a junior player and quickly rose to become one of the team’s key players. His achievements with FC Bayern Munich included four national championship titles, three European Cup victories and the World Cup. Fans of football around the world loved his elegance and lightness of foot on the pitch. The crowning glory of his career as a player came when his team won the 1974 World Cup in Germany. Two years earlier, he had already led the German national squad to victory in the European Championship.