Franz Beckenbauer was one of the greatest players of all time without a doubt. He is to German football what Pelé is to the Brazilian game and Diego Maradona in Argentina. Though the Kaiser ended his playing career elsewhere, namely with the New York Cosmos and ultimately Hamburger SV, he spent time coaching Olympique Marseille as well; he left the greatest mark on the history of Bayern Munich. Beckenbauer served the club as an outstanding player, coach, vice president, president and had been one of two living honourary presidents alongside Uli Hoeneß until his death on Monday. Here we will focus on “Kaiser Franz”‘s five greatest accomplishments with either the Bavarians, the West German national team, or as a German football official.
The Five Greatest Franz Beckenbauer Accomplishments
"He was a fantastic person; Germany’s best footballer ever, but he was an even better person and that’s really difficult to reach but he did that."
Jürgen Klopp pays tribute to footballing icon Franz Beckenbauer ❤️ pic.twitter.com/MDN66gVH1g
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 9, 2024
Captaining the West German National Team to the 1974 FIFA World Cup
Although several great players played on the team that were crowned world champions in Munich that summer, with Sepp Maier and Gerd Müller probably being two of the best, Beckenbauer was nonetheless the undisputed leader of the team. His technical skills were far superior to those of his German teammates. The great Pelé with whom the Kaiser played in New York, supposedly said of Beckenbauer that his playing style was more Brazilian than German.
Leading Bayern to a Hat-Trick of European Cup Titles
Bayern Munich won three consecutive continental trophies between 1974 and 1976. Here too, he was the team leader and the greatest player in the side. He outshined everybody there with his playing style and his imposing leadership personality. Without this period of dominance, Bayern would never have become what they are today. Beckenbauer was the most important player of the generation and he would continue to serve club and country off the field for decades to come. To this day, Real Madrid are the only other club that have been crowned champions of Europe for more than two consecutive seasons.
Coaching West Germany to the 1990 FIFA World Cup
Beckenbauer became the first man to lead his country to a World Cup title as a player and coach. After 1974, West Germany failed to win another World Cup until Italia’90. ‘Kaiser Franz’ was the tactical mastermind behind the success. It was by no means an eye-catching style of play, but it got the job done nonetheless.
A Successful Return to Bayern
After having spent time at Olympique Marseille following the World Cup triumph, he came back to the Bavarians and served the club as vice president starting in November of 1991. From December 1993 to the end of the season, he coached the team to a Bundesliga title, their first since 1990. The club members then elected him president, which was an office he held until 2009. Even so, the Kaiser briefly returned to coaching the team on an interim basis after having fired Otto Rehhagel in April of 1996. He helped the team win the UEFA Cup that term.
Leading The Effort for Germany to Host FIFA World Cup 2006
Beckenbauer brought the 2006 World Cup to Germany and led the organizing committee that ensured that the tournament went smoothly. The legacy of the last major tournament hosted by Germany remains. As a result, many stadiums were either modernised or, where necessary, new ones were built. The latter was the case in Munich, where the Allianz Arena came into being, making Bayern’s dream of a football-specific stadium of their own a reality and finally moving out of the Olympic Stadium, which belonged to the city.
Bayern Munich and German football alike owe a great deal to Franz Beckenbauer. Neither would have such an incredible history of success without him.
