German legend Franz Beckenbauer, widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players, has died aged 78, his family said in a statement to German news agency DPA.
He won the World Cup as captain of West Germany in 1974 and lifted the trophy again as manager in 1990.
The former defender also played 582 times for Bayern Munich, again winning the German top flight as both as a player and a manager.
Nicknamed Der Kaiser, as a player he also won the European Championship in 1972 and twice won the Ballon d’Or.
Playing as a midfielder, he man-marked Sir Bobby Charlton in England’s 4-2 win in the 1966 World Cup final before shifting to his iconic position as a defensive sweeper.
He also scored four goals at the 1966 World Cup aged just 20 and won the award for the tournament’s best young player.
He went on to play 103 times for West Germany.
As a player at Bayern, he won five league titles and was captain for the German giants’ three European Cup wins in 1974, 1975 and 1976.
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