It was probably the “Bild” newspaper that invented “Kaiser Franz” in 1969 – there was Franz Beckenbauer, born on September 11, 1945 in Munich-Giesing, 24 years old and has been in the national team for four years. He was part of the team at the 1966 World Cup and scored four goals. It was still Uwe Seeler’s world and already Beckenbauer’s. In 1970, at the World Cup in Brazil, the two opposites played together. Beckenbauer later described Seeler as a fire extinguisher who ran across the pitch with a red head and talking incessantly. While he, the libero, directed the build-up with his arm outstretched.
The ball was rarely gone
The elegance of Beckenbauer’s game and his upright running are always praised. The Kaiser himself pragmatically noted that the game used to be very close to the ground and rustic: “But what am I supposed to run after when the ball is gone?” The ball was rarely gone, and he also had his adlatus Georg “Katsche” Schwarzenbeck at Bayern Munich on the side who did the straddle.
Opinions differ as to whether Franz Beckenbauer’s jersey never got dirty. Günter Netzer thinks it is a myth. But there is a photo in which Netzer can be seen with a dirty shirt after the game – and Beckenbauer with flawless red and white stripes. In 1972 they were together on the legendary German team that became European champions.
A good game
But Franz Beckenbauer also fought. At the 1974 World Cup, the captain called the team to order after the defeat against the GDR: only six or seven players were involved. And anyone who isn’t selected for the next game will rightly not be there. And him. told the fatherly but weak coach Helmut Schön who these players were. The German team then played a good game against Yugoslavia. In addition, Beckenbauer negotiated a higher prize bonus (plus a VW Beetle) with DFB President Hermann Neuberger by telephone from the Malente sports school.
In the final against Holland he competed against Johann Cruyff in the Munich Olympic Stadium. Cruyff was the Dutch’s best player and a hero to intellectuals like Günter Netzer in Germany, who was not on the pitch. Beckenbauer interpreted the libero in this game as a defensive fighter. Germany won 2-1 – the goals were scored by the cool-headed Paul Breitner from the penalty spot and the inimitable Gerd Müller, two Bayern players. Federal President Walter Scheel, who had only been in office for a few days, presented the World Cup to Franz Beckenbauer. It’s unforgettable how he lifts the trophy, the simple captain’s armband on his arm.
He had already won the Cup Winners’ Cup with Bayern Munich in 1967. Now the club won the national champions’ cup three times in a row – until 1976. Nothing more could be achieved in Germany. After a murky tax affair, Beckenbauer went to Cosmos New York in 1977 to set up the American soccer league. Pelé was there too. Beckenbauer took the job seriously and led the team. In the evenings he had a table in Studio 54. Andy Warhol made a screen print of his portrait photo. Beckenbauer spoke little English, but as always, he learned when necessary.
In 1981 he returned to Germany – and went to HSV, where Günter Netzer was now manager. Netzer saw that his friend was prone to injury because he had played on artificial turf in New York. Beckenbauer was tired. He became German champion with HSV in 1982 and then resigned.
The team boss
But in 1984, after a disastrous European Championship, he was installed as Jupp Derwall’s successor. He hesitated, but the public voice pushed him into office. “It’s hard for me to say no,” said Beckenbauer. He couldn’t be a national coach because he didn’t have a coaching license. He was called team boss. But Kaiser did it too.
At the 1986 World Cup in Mexico he didn’t really have the team under control – there were quarrels over the second goalkeeper Uli Stein, who was sent home. Germany became runner-up. Beckenbauer studied the opponents’ games on video.
In the summer of 1990 in Rome, Franz Beckenbauer won the World Cup for the second time. Anyone who saw it then (and again and again since) knows the image of Beckenbauer strolling around the middle of the pitch while the team takes a victory lap.
No water, but wheat beer
He then became coach and president of Bayern Munich, columnist, oracle. He brought the 2006 World Cup to Germany. He was also the head of the organization. Since the 1960s he has been advised by the sophisticated Robert Schwan, the first manager of the Bundesliga – not so well here: “I would have signed anything,” he later admitted. He probably has too. He didn’t walk on water, he drank wheat beer. He was gladly needed.
After the revelations about bribery and dubious payments, Franz Beckenbauer became quiet and he hardly appeared anymore. He was once seen at a Bayern game during the pandemic. His son Stephan, one of five children, died of a brain tumor in 2015. Beckenbauer underwent heart surgery.
On Sunday, January 7th, 2024, the best libero in the world died in Salzburg at the age of 78.