German football legend Franz Beckenbauer dies aged 78

The death has taken place of German football legend Franz Beckenbauer at the age of 78.

‘Der Kaiser’ was widely regarded as one of the finest players in the history of the game and enjoyed great success as a manager, guiding West Germany to the 1990 World Cup, having won it as a player in 1974.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family,” a family statement read.

“We ask that you be able to grieve in silence and refrain from asking any questions.”

A two-time Ballon d’Or winner, he is one of three players, along with Mario Zagallo (Brazil), who died on Saturday, and Didier Deschamps (France), to have won the World Cup as both a player and manager.

A dominant centre-back and creative sweeper, he also won three consecutive European Cups with Bayern Munich between 1974 and 1976, captaining the club throughout its most glorious period.

As a player, Beckenbauer, originally a centre-forward as a youth player, would go on to re-define the sweeper or libero role, often functioning as a deep-lying playmaker and directing attacks from the back.

Having shone for West Germany in their run to the final at the 1966 World Cup and the semi-finals of the 1970 World Cup, he was elevated to the captaincy in 1971.

He led the side to glory at the 1972 European Championships and then enjoyed his finest hour, captaining them to the World Cup on home soil in 1974, beating a Johan Cruyff led Netherlands side 2-1 in the final in Munich.

While the Dutch, famed for their revolutionary Total Football style, were the neutrals’ favourite, Beckenbauer’s German side successfully nullified them after going 1-0 down in the opening minute, Gerd Muller firing home the eventual winner shortly before half-time.

In 1977, having retired from international football with a then-record 104 caps, Beckenbauer took up an offer to play alongside Pele at the New York Cosmos in the fledgling North American Soccer League.

Pele himself had a high opinion of the stylish Beckenbauer.

The Brazilian said: “As a player, he was marked out by intelligence rather than strength. He was more Brazilian than German as a footballer.”

He also had a short – title-winning – spell with Hamburg before retiring in 1983.

Not along after his playing career ended, Beckenbauer was a surprise appointment to succeed Jupp Derwall as West German national team manager in 1984.

He impressed by leading a then-unfancied side to a runners-up finish in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, where they were beaten by Argentina in the final.

He bettered that in Italy four years later as West Germany avenged that loss to Argentina in the decider, following their penalty shoot-out win over England in the last four.

In the wake of that success at Italia, he entered club management with French kingpins Olimpique Marseilles, steering them to their third successive Ligue 1 title in 1990-91 but losing the European Cup final to Red Star Belgrade after a penalty shootout. He departed after one season.

He subsequently had two short stints as manager of Bayern Munich in the 1990s, guiding them to the Bundesliga title in 1993-94 and a UEFA Cup victory in 1996.

He went on to become a football administrator and remained a national hero even though later years were overshadowed by allegations of bribery and corruption relating to Germany’s hosting of the 2006 World Cup.

Tributes flowed to the German great in the wake of the news.

Lothar Matthaus captained Germany’s 1990 World Cup-winning side and paid tribute to his former manager and friend.

“The shock is deep, even though I knew that Franz wasn’t feeling well. His death is a loss for football and for Germany as a whole,” Matthaus told German media outlet Bild.

“He was one of the greatest as a player and coach, but also off the field. Franz was an outstanding personality not only in football, and he enjoyed worldwide recognition.

“Everyone who knew him knows what a great and generous person Franz was. A good friend left us. I will miss him – we will all miss him.”

The German Football Association (DFB) paid tribute to Beckenbauer as someone who “influenced football in Germany like no other”.

DFB director of the senior national team Rudi Voller also played under Beckenbauer in 1990.

“I consider it one of the great privileges of my life to have known and experienced Franz Beckenbauer,” Voller said on the official DFB website.

“Our time together with the national team were crowned with the 1990 World Cup title in Rome, a title that would never have been possible without his outstanding coaching performance.

“The ‘Kaiser’ was an inspiration for more than one generation, he will forever remain the shining light of German football.

“With Franz Beckenbauer, German football is losing its greatest personality, I am losing a good friend.”

Current German national team manager Julian Nagelsmann hailed Beckenbauer as “the greatest footballer in German history.

“His interpretation of the role of the libero changed the game, this role and his friendship with the ball made him a free man.

“Franz Beckenbauer was able to float on the lawn, as a footballer and later also as a coach he was sublime, he stood above things.”