Beckenbauer was a great footballer for club and country; he won the World Cup as a coach for the country, the crowning achievement of a very good coaching period. He then spent two decades as an official in or at the head of Germany’s largest club and also the association. I do not consider these points to be contestable.
And at the latter station he earned his last titles. Precisely the titles that now attach to his personality.
The list of his various accounts is known. Also the dubious ways in which FIFA funds found their way into various accounts via intermediaries. Also the dozen times in which he left the legal realm of “tax avoidance”. Especially since “legal” tax avoidance by multi-millionaires can already be questioned morally and, especially among football officials, is often used to cover up bribes.
The fact that he bribed himself for the 2006 World Cup is no longer just an open secret.
And yes, on his own he could have been defended for doing everything he could for the World Cup in our country. But not if this is just one point in this long list, where in every other case only he himself was the beneficiary of these machinations. The image of a man who only once strayed from the right path for the greater good is completely transfigured.
He actively took part in the sport washing of Qatar 2022, and not only missed criticism. In fact, he even countered emerging criticism from human rights organizations. All this while he simply left it open until his deathbed whether he himself voted for Qatar. That may still leave doubts about his choice for Qatar, but for no “good” person these would only be doubts. They would clearly distance themselves. And in general, choosing Qatar wouldn’t fit into her personality image at all.
The fact that many people wouldn’t be surprised by this because it fits into their usual pattern of behavior says more than enough about this person.