German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on social media that Beckenbauer 'inspired generations of enthusiasm for German soccer. WATCH | Beckenbauer only person to World Cup as player and coach:ĭuration 0:51 The only person to win the FIFA World Cup as both a player and a coach. Franz Beckenbauer leaves a great legacy for the federation and soccer as a whole.' 'With his lightness, his elegance and his vision, he set standards on the field. 'The `Kaiser' was one of the best players our sport has ever seen,' German soccer federation president Bernd Neuendorf said. He was the coach when West Germany won the tournament again in 1990, a symbolic moment for a country in the midst of reunification, months after the Berlin Wall fell. As a player, he reimagined the defender's role in soccer and captained West Germany to the World Cup title in 1974 after it had lost to England in the 1966 final. The 'Kaiser'īeckenbauer was one of German soccer's central figures. 'The world of FC Bayern is no longer the way it used to be - suddenly darker, quieter, poorer,' the Bavarian powerhouse said on its website. But they did nothing to damage the esteem in which he was held. The former Bayern Munich great, who became affectionately known as the 'Kaiser' - or 'Emperor' - had struggled with health problems in recent years.īeckenbauer also had to contend with allegations of impropriety in later years. The statement did not provide a cause of death. 'We ask that we be allowed to grieve in peace and be spared any questions.' '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,' the family said in its statement. He was 78.īeckenbauer's death was first announced through a statement from his family to German news agency dpa and then confirmed by the German soccer federation. Franz Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup both as player and coach and became one of Germany's most beloved personalities with his easygoing charm, has died.

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