Franz Beckenbauer
Individual Achievement
4 Times German Footballer Of The Year
(1966, 1968, 1974, 1976)
2 Times World Soccer Player Of The Year (1972, 1976)
3 Times FIFA World Cup Team Of Tournament
2 Times European Championship Team Of Tournament (1972, 1976)
1966 FIFA World Cup Young Player Of Tournament
1974 FIFA World Cup Silver Ball
1966 Bronze Ball European Footballer of The Year
2 Times Silver Ball European Footballer Of The Year (1974, 1975)
2 Times European Footballer Of The Year (1972, 1976)
Bayern Munich's Greatest Player Ever
Bundesliga Greatest Player Ever
1994 FIFA World Cup All-Time Team
1998 FIFA World Team Of Century
1999 IFFHS Germany Player of The Century
1999 Bronze Ball IFFHS World Player of The Century
“Der Kaiser” Franz Beckenbauer is regarded as one of the greatest footballers ever in history of the game and the greatest German footballer of all-time. He originally started playing as defensive midfielder before moved to attacking libero which he controlled rhythmic in defensive able to advance on offensive mission with his elegant style of play.
Beckenbauer was rated for Kicker magazine in 10.5 world-class seasons and 2.5 international-class seasons, He also once held the record the most appearances in top five of Ballon D’or with 10 times(before Messi Ronaldo monopoly started). According to German Footballer of the year voting, he also finished second place for four times, was German defender of the year for eight times. He was known for his leadership and effectiveness to read the game. Beckenbauer is not the greatest ever as defender but his creativity, passing, long shooting, holding with ball and defensive game led him as one of the most completed footballer the world has ever produced. He scored more than 50 goals for his career in Germany. Beckenbauer was voted 3rd, 4th and 6th World player of century from IFFHS, World Soccer and France football’s poll, respectively, was voted 3rd the best player in history of World Cup by France Football, was finished 2nd in UEFA Jubilee Poll as the best European footballer in last 50 years.
When looking back at great World Cup defenders there is one name that stands head and shoulders above them all. A man listed 3rd in the IFFHS ranking of the best players of last century, published in 2004. I am of course talking of West Germany’s finest: Franz Beckenbauer.
Franz started as a youth player in a local German side as a centre-forward who idolised then Germany and 1860 Munich player Fritz Walter, who was a World Cup winner in 1954.
In 1959 Franz was fully aware that his youth team was about to be disbanded due to lack of funds, and like many of his teammates, had decided that they wished to join 1860 Munich. However, in the last competition his side were to play, they met 1860 in the final, a game which was far from friendly natured and Franz ended up getting into a fight with an 1860 Centre Back, and the ill feeling after this game convinced Franz and his team to owe more of a consideration to joining Bayern, which the majority ended up doing.
At the age of 18, in 1963, Franz was engulfed in controversy after it emerged that his then girlfriend was pregnant. Once it emerged that he had no intention of marrying her, the DFB banned Franz from the national youth side, a ban which was only overturned when German assistant manager Dettmar Cramer pressurised the DFB.
Beckenbauer made his Bayern debut in Germany’s second division against Stuttgart Kickers in 1964, playing on this occasion as a left winger. Bayern won promotion to the Bundesliga the following season, and soon became a major force, winning the German Cup in 1966-67 and the Cup Winners Cup as their inaugural continental silverware in 1967. Franz was handed the Bayern Captaincy for the 1968-69 and lead them to their first Bundesliga title, in the same season in which Bayern and Beckenbauer perfected the Sweeper or Libero system.
Beckenbauer also captained Bayern through the hat-trick of European cups from 1974-1976, which, I’m sure, you will agree is no mean feat.
Beckenbauer has spent the majority of his career under the nickname of “Der Kaiser”, translated as “The Emperor”. However, the origins of this term being used for Franz is unclear, with two origins being commonly cited. One which is actually retailed by Beckenbauer himself is that before a pre-season match in Vienna he posed next to a statue of Franz Joseph, an old emperor of Austria, and he was then apparently dubbed as “Der Fußall Kaiser” or “The Football Emperor”.
However, a report in a German newspaper gives a different story, stating instead that he got this nickname when he fouled Shalke 04’s Reinhard Libuda and moved before balancing the ball in front of disgruntled Shalke fans for 30 seconds, since Libuda was known as König von Westfalen (king of Westphalia), so the press searched for a greater name than king, thus leaving him known as the emperor.
Beckenbauer went on to play in the North American Soccer League for the New York Cosmo’s for four seasons, in which he won the Soccer Bowl (I wish I were the one who made that name up…) three times in 1977,78 & 80. After this spell he returned to Germany to play for Hamburg for two seasons, in which he won the Bundesliga title one more time, before returning to finish his career for the Cosmo’s.
He has the achievement of having been president, manager, coach, and player for the same club.
International level
For the West German national side Beckenbauer made 103 caps, scoring 14 goals. His international career began late in 1965 before he went to the World Cup in 1966, in which finals Germany were beaten to hosts England. He scored 4 goals at this tournament and was a joint top scorer from non attacking positions, which, for a player as inexperienced as he was at this level, is very impressive.
Beckenbauer returned to play a major role in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, where he was a major force in the German team, including the game in which Germany came back from 2-0 down against England to win 3-2. Germany finished the tournament in 3rd place after losing to Italy in the semifinals, in a game which is widely believed to be one of the greatest ever.
Beckenbauer finally won the World Cup in 1974, beating the much hotly tipped Dutch “Total Football” side containing the likes of Johan Cruyff. This victory made Beckenbauer the first captain to lift the new Jules Rimet trophy (since Brazil were left to keep the trophy following the 1970 games). Beckenbauer had previously lifted the 1972 European Championships after beating the USSR. This made Germany the first champions of both tournaments, a feat that has only been matched by the France side of 1998 & 2000 and the current holders of both cups Spain.