On January 7, local time, German football legend Beckenbauer, known as the "Emperor of Football", passed away at the age of 78. So far, the "five elders" of international football have all passed away. Previously, Cruyff, Maradona, Pele, and Di Stefano died of illness one after another, and a generation of old football kings came to an end.
In the documentary released today by the Bundesliga official, Beckenbauer is called "one of the most legendary players in the history of German football" and "he is also one of the greatest players in the history of Bundesliga football".
Beckenbauer was born in September 1945 and started his playing career at Bayern Munich. During his 13 years at Bayern, Beckenbauer led the team to win four Bundesliga titles and four German Cups.
During his international career, Beckenbauer made 103 appearances for West Germany, scoring 14 goals.
Beckenbauer played in the 1974 World Cup and led West Germany to victory on home soil in 1974.
As a player, Beckenbauer was a star on a par with superstars such as Pele and Maradona, and won the Ballon d'Or many times.
After retiring as a player, Beckenbauer became an excellent head coach.
In 1986 and 1990, Beckenbauer led West Germany to the World Cup, reaching the final and winning the World Cup in 1990. He also became only the second man after Zagallo to win the World Cup as both a player and a coach.
Beckenbauer also coached Marseille and his former club Bayern Munich, both of which led them to league titles. In the Champions League, he led Bayern to three consecutive titles.
After Beckenbauer's death, clubs such as International Football, UEFA Official, and Manchester United expressed their condolences for Beckenbauer's death through social **.
At present, the cause of Beckenbauer's death has not been announced, and his family said in an obituary that Beckenbauer passed away peacefully in his sleep. According to previous reports in Germany, Beckenbauer has been battling the disease for many years, and in 2017 and 2018, he underwent heart bypass surgery twice and underwent hip brace surgery. In addition, he was blind in one eye, and his judgment and memory had deteriorated.
Before Beckenbauer's death, world football legend Cruyff died of lung cancer in 2016 at the age of 68Maradona and Pele also passed away due to illness in 2020 and 2022 respectively.