Franz Beckenbauer, honorary chairman of Bayern Munich, nicknamed “Kaiser” (Emperor), has died. He was 78.
“He died peacefully the day before,” Beckenbauer’s family told dpa news agency on Monday.
They did not disclose the cause of his death.
Born in Munich in 1945, Beckenbauer joined the prestigious Bayern Munich in 1958 at the age of 13.
He led Bayern Munich to the top of the Bundesliga all four times and to three consecutive European Cups, the predecessor to the UEFA Champions League.
With the national team, he captained the team to the 1974 World Cup victory over West Germany.
