On January 7, local time in Germany, Franz Beckenbauer died at the age of 78. His wife announced the news on the 8th: her husband left in his sleep and was very calm. Accompanied by his family, the football legend made his last journey.
In fact, Beckenbauer has rarely appeared since 2019, and Mateus has revealed that his mentor is not in good health. He underwent heart surgery in 2016 and suffered an ocular infarction in one eye in 2022. His brother Walter said: "I don't like to lie, Franz's current situation is good and bad. "But now the sudden loss of Beckenbauer has made it difficult for world football to settle down. In a subsequent mourning release, his former club FC Bayern Munich wrote: "Farewell to our only 'football emperor'. May you rest in peace. ”
Caption: Beckenbauer led Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title.
Beckenbauer passed away, and fans laid flowers in mourning at the Bayern Munich training ground where Beckenbauer had played.
There are "kings" in football, and there may be more than one. And the only one who can be crowned "emperor" is Beckenbauer, and there will be no successors. His old friend recalls that there are two versions of the original origin of the title: one is that in 1968, Bayern played a friendly match in Vienna, and after the game, Franz posed next to the statue of the Austrian Emperor Joseph I, so everyone called him "The Emperor of Football Caesar";The other is in the 1969 match between Bayern and Schalke 04, Beckenbauer on the field against the opponent's star Li Buda, who was nicknamed "King of Westphalia", so he had the prestige of "Caesar". Of course, it doesn't matter which provenance it is, Franz Beckenbauer's performance on and off the field is fully worthy of the supreme title of "Emperor of Football". When you think of his heroic appearance on the field, his handsome face, his elegance, composure, and especially the leadership temperament exuded all over his body, you can't help but think of him as the perfect spokesperson for football.
Caption: Beckenbauer as a young man.
Beckenbauer's career achievements are divided into three parts. As a player, he was a world champion, a footballer of the year, and the founder of the Bayern Munich dynasty. Transformed into a coach, he led the German team to lift the Hercules Cup, becoming the first person in European football to win the World Cup as captain and manager respectively. Later, he became the president of the German Football Association, starting the journey of German football from the trough to the peak, and helping the Germanic chariot to win the football world again. There are few people like him, at every stage of life, to do the best, to achieve the highest achievements, and leave no regrets. Behind these achievements, in fact, is the tempering of a player's life.
Caption: Beckenbauer led Germany to victory.
Since his debut, Beckenbauer has been an excellent player, pioneering the free man tactic of the football genre, through a wide range of players in front of the back line, stringing together the entire team's orderly and imaginative attack and defense. After him, German football also saw the emergence of excellent libero players such as Mateus and Summer, and influenced the tactical changes in the midfield. But Franz's quest for the top of his career has not been easy. In the 1966 World Cup final, his West German side was beaten by hosts England in extra-time and finished runners-up. Four years later, Franz made a comeback, knocking out arch-rivals but facing eventual champions Italy in the semi-finals. In that semi-final, in addition to the role of libero, Franz was impressive as dragging a dislocated right shoulder, and played through extra time from the second half. The iron blood and will of German football, this moment is integrated with his elegant footwork, leaving a strong mark in the history of the World Cup.
Caption: Beckenbauer as a young man.
In the 1974 World Cup held on German soil, the 29-year-old Beckenbauer got his wish and lifted the Hercules Cup as captain. In that final, he defeated Cruyff, the "flying Dutchman", one of the best attacking talents in European football at the time. Regarding this contest of will over talent, Cruyff later said of his lifelong enemy: "When you go one-on-one with Beckenbauer, you feel timid, the attacking players feel that there is no way out, the defenders feel helpless, and the only way is to let the ball be left by Beckenbauer or easily passed by him." ”
Caption: Beckenbauer lifts the Hercules Cup as captain.
This is the beginning of the legend of the Emperor. Beckenbauer didn't stop there, and in 1984, shortly after retiring from football, he took charge of the German team and was challenged by another football genius - Maradona.
The scene of the 1986 World Cup final is still fresh in the memory of many fans, Maradona led Argentina to defeat West Germany 3-2 and lift his first Hercules Cup. Four years later, the king led Argentina to the final, opposite Beckenbauer's West Germany. This time, Bei Huang's team was so strong that the "King of the Ball" was suffocated, and even if the Argentine team paid the price of 2 red cards and 9 yellow cards, it still could not prevent the end of being crushed by the German tank. Beckenbauer, with his gold-rimmed glasses and curly hair, has once again become the most eye-catching character in world football. At this time, no one doubted that no setbacks could crush this man named Franz, who could be hailed as the "Emperor of Football", precisely because he fought on the pitch all his life, overcame countless adversities, and won back this glory with victory after victory.
Caption: Beckenbauer had a profound impact on football.
Beckenbauer seems to have a natural talent for dominating the whole picture. This is true on the pitch, in the dugout, and as president of the German Football Association. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he "has been inspiring all eras of German football for many years". Indeed it is. During his presidency of the German Football Association (DFB) and FC Bayern, Beckenbauer led Germany's successful bid for the World Cup and, more importantly, the start of a ten-year program for German youth training to help German football return to the top and win the Hercules Cup in 2014. There is no doubt that he is a man who has had a profound impact on football and the wider world, leaving behind a rich legacy. He is an artist, but also a conductor, goodbye, "Bei Huang", I will always miss you. (Xinmin Evening News reporter Jin Lei).
Link · Beckenbauer.
Born: 11 September 1945 in Munich, Germany.
Professional footballer: 1963-1984.
Professional Coach: 1984-1996.
First visit to China: In September 1977, Beckenbauer, who played for the New York Cosmos, came to China for the first time, playing two games against the Chinese men's football team in Beijing and Shanghai, and the Cosmos team also included Pele.
Numbers speak · Players
2 Twice awarded the Golden Globe in 1972 and 1976.
1+1 Led the Federal Republic of Germany to the 1972 European Championship and the 1974 World Cup.
3+4 helped Bayern win 4 Bundesliga titles and 3 Champions League titles.
103 From 1965 to 1977, he made 103 appearances as captain of the Federal Republic of Germany.
582 From 1964 to 1977, he made 582 appearances for Bayern Munich.
Numbers speak · Coaching.
1 From 1984 to 1990, he coached the Federal Republic of Germany and led the team to win the 1990 World Cup.
2 From 1993 to 1994 and 1996, he served as the head coach of Bayern Munich twice, leading the team to win the Bundesliga and Europa League.