Franz Beckenbauer, the German football icon who won the World Cup as both a player and a manager, has died at age 78.
The World Cup winner died on Sunday, January 7th, his family confirmed, as tributes flooded in from the world of football.
Franz Beckenbauer’s Health Had Been Declining
The Daily Mail reported that Beckenbauer’s health gradually declined since the death of his son, Stephan, in 2015. The legendary former player and manager suffered from Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and a heart condition ever since.
Beckenbauer won 104 caps for West Germany and captained the team to victory at the 1974 World Cup before reliving another such moment in Italy as a manager sixteen years later. He received several other honors during his footballing career, including a hat-trick of European Cups with Bayern Munich in the seventies. It was at this time he became widely known as a solid defender, and he was referred to as Der Kaiser, or “The Emperor.”
Players who re-define a position and change the way the game is played deserve special recognition. Genuine greatness on the pitch is rare. Franz Beckenbauer was a great footballer
RIP #TheKaiser pic.twitter.com/17jT0l4NrH— Darren Fletcher (@DFletcherSport) January 8, 2024
Beckenbauer is one of only three men to have won the World Cup as both a player and a manager, the other two being Brazil’s Mario Zagallo and France’s Didier Deschamps.
The Guardian reported that Beckenbauer’s family confirmed the news in a statement to the German press agency DPA, saying: “It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, surrounded by his family…We ask that we [be allowed] to mourn in silence and not be disturbed by any questions.”
Lothar Matthaus, who was Beckenbauer’s captain at the 1990 World Cup and a close friend, told German newspaper Bild: “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,” Matthaus said. “Franz was an outstanding personality—not only in football—and he enjoyed worldwide recognition. Everyone who knew him knows what a great and generous person Franz was. A good friend has left us. I will miss him—we will all miss him.”
“Very sorry to hear that Franz Beckenbauer has died,” former England striker Gary Lineker posted on social media.
Very sorry to hear that Franz Beckenbauer has died. One of the absolute greats of our game. Der Kaiser was the most beautiful of footballers who won it all with grace and charm. RIP.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) January 8, 2024
Football commentator Darren Fletcher posted his own tribute, writing: “Players who re-define a position and change the way the game is played deserve special recognition.”
Farewell messages posted for Franz Beckenbauer on social media prove that his impact in the world of football and beyond has been truly indisputable.
Franz Beckenbauer will always be remembered. One of the greatest ever. 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/CM7wjW8OLt
— Deniz (@MusialaEra) January 8, 2024
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
