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.
After his playing career, Beckenbauer coached the West German national team to the 1990 World Cup title.
Beckenbauer won the World Cup as a player and manager alongside Brazil’s Mario Jagaloo and France’s Didier Deschamps, who passed away today. 카지노사이트가이드
He became a football administrator in 1994 when he took over as chairman of Bayern Munich and served as president of the organizing committee that brought the 2006 World Cup to Germany.
In his later years, he was investigated by the German Football Association (DFB) and then by Swiss prosecutors over allegations that he paid off FIFA executive committee members during the 2006 World Cup bid.
He escaped punishment when the statute of limitations expired in 2020.
During his career, Beckenbauer redefined the role of the libero with his grace and lightness of touch, according to the dpa news agency.
Current German national team coach Julian Nagelsmann said: “Beckenbauer’s interpretation of the libero position changed soccer.
Perhaps it reflected the spirit of cultural liberalism and freedom that was spreading in Europe in the 1960s,” he lamented.
