The only person in the world to have won the World Cup both as a player and as a coach, Franz Beckenbauer or ‘Der Kaiser’, meaning ‘The Emperor’, as he was nicknamed is regarded to be one of the best German footballers of all time.

Beckenbauer, guiding Bayern Munich towards success

He joined Bayern Munich in 1995 as a player for the junior squad but by the time of his debut he was the star player in a team that would take the club to a level of unprecedented success.

Franz Beckenbauer dribbling his adversaries

Led by Beckenbauer, Bayern Munich won the league championships in 1969, 1972, 1973 and 1974 and claimed the UEFA European Cup from 1974 to 1976. He also played for West Germany’s national team, of which he was the captain, at three World Cups and two European championships. Beckenbauer retired in 1977, aged 31, following his move to New York Cosmos.

Managing the national team and more

He was appointed manager of the West German national team and shorty after took them all the way to the final in the 1986 World Cup, only to be defeated by Argentina. In 1990, before the German reunification, Beckenbauer managed to win the World Cup in a rematch of the previous one, defeating Argentina. He then moved to club management where he accepted a job managing Olympique Marsille’s team, but left after only four months.

In 1994 he took the job as club president at Bayern Munich, and much of the success in the following years has been credited to his managerial skills. Beckenbauer was chosen in the World Team of the 20’th Century in 1998 and the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002.

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