He was the much-praised figure of light. “It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family,” the family said. “We ask that you be able to mourn in silence and refrain from asking any questions.”
Lothar Matthäus, who became world champion as team captain under coach Beckenbauer in 1990, reacted with dismay. “The shock is deep, even though I knew that Franz wasn’t feeling well. His death is a loss for football and for Germany as a whole. He was one of the greatest as a player and coach, but also off the field.”
“Franz was an outstanding personality, not just in football, and he enjoyed worldwide recognition. Everyone who knew him knows what a great and generous person Franz was. A good friend left us. I will miss him – we will all miss him,” wrote Matthew.
Starting at Bayern Munich
Beckenbauer came to FC Bayern as a junior player and quickly rose to become a top performer for the Munich team. The boy from the Munich district of Giesing won, among other things, four national championship titles, was three times winner of the European Cup and World Cup winner.
Memories of “Emperor” Beckenbauer
Triumph at the home World Cup in 1974
With his elegance and ease on the field, he redefined the role of the libero and crowned his career by winning the home World Cup in 1974. Two years earlier, he had already led the German European Championship winning team.
AP Franz Beckenbauer crowned his career with the title at the 1974 home World Cup
After a few years in the USA with Cosmos New York, where he played in a legendary team with Pele, Beckenbauer returned to Germany and won another championship title with HSV in 1982.
Team boss without a coaching license
After the preliminary round exit at the 1984 European Championships, he became team boss at the DFB without a coaching license and led the national team straight into the 1986 World Cup final against Argentina (2:3). Four years later, they took revenge against Diego Maradona & Co. with the World Cup triumph in Rome.
picturedesk.com/dpa/Frank Kleefeldt As a coach, Beckenbauer reached his career high with the 1990 World Cup title
Beckenbauer resigned – not without leaving his successor Berti Vogts with a heavy burden of claiming invincibility. Beckenbauer returned to FC Bayern as a coach when his Munich team was in crisis in the mid-1990s.
Crisis after the 2006 home World Cup
The DFB used his charisma and polyglot brilliance in its bid for the 2006 World Cup. The summer fairy tale was Beckenbauer’s highlight as an official – and at the same time difficult for him personally. There were allegations when dubious payments became public. However, former German top politicians defended Beckenbauer in the scandal surrounding the 2006 World Cup.
When it comes to Beckenbauer’s life’s work, the allegations surrounding the awarding of the World Cup with dubious payments of millions leave a bitter aftertaste. In the summer of 2019, the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office ended the proceedings against Beckenbauer on suspicion of fraud.