Title: Remembering Franz Beckenbauer: The Football Emperor Who Defined “Free Man”
Author: Ye Kefei, Southern People Weekly Staff Writer
Editor in Charge: Chen Yafeng
Speaking of the most exciting final in the history of the Men’s Football World Cup, many people may vote for the 2022 World Cup final. Argentina and France worked together to present a soul-stirring match, and the twists and turns of the “plot” explained the charm of football. So, before the 2022 World Cup, which is the most exciting final? Everyone will have a different answer, but the 1974 final is definitely one of the top choices.
It was the first time in history that the Hercules Cup was used in the World Cup, when the West German team and the Dutch team met in the final. Only 54 seconds into the game, the Dutch team won a penalty kick and successfully made it, winning a dream start. But the West German team then scored two goals in a row and became the first team in history to win the Hercules Cup with a score of 2:1.
This peak duel is also regarded as a contest between two giants in European football. The leader of the Dutch team is Cruyff, and it is Beckenbauer who helps the West German team have the last laugh. This was also their final game of the World Cup. Beckenbauer achieved the status of “the first man in German football”. Although the talented Cruyff won his third Ballon d’Or trophy that year, he missed the Hercules Cup and became The regret of his life.
Glory and regret are eternal memories, and those names in the past will not be forgotten, but life will eventually end. In 2016, Cruyff passed away. Beckenbauer passed away on January 8, 2024, at the age of 78. These old rivals, who once had a good time and cherished each other, met in another world together with Pele, Maradona, Di Stefano and other deceased superstars.
Beckenbauer is known as the “Emperor of Football”. As a player, he played in the World Cup three times, winning the championship (1974), runner-up (1966) and third place (1970) once each; as a head coach, he led his team to the World Cup finals twice, both with Marado The Argentinian team led by Nagoya met. In the 1986 final, they lost to Argentina and finished second. In the 1990 final, they successfully won the championship. In the history of world football, there are only three people who have won the World Cup as both players and coaches. In addition to Beckenbauer, there are also the Brazilian football star Zagallo who passed away on January 5, and the current coach of the French national team De Yet.
In 1972 and 1976, Beckenbauer won the Golden Globe Award twice. At the 2004 FIFA Centenary Celebration, Beckenbauer and Pele shared the honor of “Player of the Century”. In 2011, Beckenbauer was among the first to be inducted into the FIFA Hall of Fame.
Franz Beckenbauer was born on September 11, 1945, in a working-class family in Munich, Germany. His father was a postal warehouse manager. At that time, World War II had just ended, Europe was devastated, and the German economy had been extremely overdrawn due to Hitler’s militarism. The Beckenbauer family’s life was not comfortable. As a child, Beckenbauer’s only joy was street football.
In 1951, Beckenbauer joined the local Munich 1906 club and started his football career. In 1959, Beckenbauer switched to the youth training camp of Bayern Munich Club and participated in various competitions as an amateur player.
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