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Franz BeckenbauerFootball player
Date of Birth: 11.09.1945
Country:  Germany |
Content:
Biography of Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer, a German footballer and coach, has always been accompanied by success - the kind that only a truly brilliant player deserves. His outstanding career did not end with his departure from professional football. He brilliantly demonstrated himself as the coach of the West German national team, leading them to second place in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and then to victory in the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Perhaps no other football player has reached such dizzying heights in his career, which were also manifested in tangible achievements and victories. Beckenbauer was the first German player to play over a hundred matches for the national team. With Bayern Munich, he won all imaginable trophies in European and world club football, earning the title of European Footballer of the Year. But victories and achievements are not the only criteria by which the true greatness of a player and his contribution to the development of world football are determined.
Early Life and Career
Beckenbauer took his first steps towards a brilliant football career as a schoolboy in the youth team of the club. Soon he joined the youth section of Bayern Munich and became part of the youth national team of West Germany. Just a year after his debut in the senior team, he was called up to the national team at a crucial moment - the West German team was going to Sweden to play the decisive match of the 1966 World Cup qualifiers. Despite the odds, the Germans defeated the Swedes 2-1, securing their place in the World Cup, and Beckenbauer cemented his place in the national team for almost a decade. He was named the best footballer of the year in Germany and Europe. On the field, Beckenbauer embodied grace and elegance. He combined the physical strength of an athlete with a remarkably sharp mind. His head worked like a computer, calculating all combinations, finding weaknesses in opponents' defenses before they even opened up, and seeing potential goal-scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates that the opponents were completely unprepared for.
Playing Career
Almost his entire football career was spent at Bayern Munich, where he played as an attacking defender. Some claimed that he was wasting his talent in that position. However, Beckenbauer believed that in the modern game, which was becoming increasingly tight, the position of an attacking defender gave him time and a wide field of action, allowing him to play at his full potential and influence the course of the match. He was like a puppeteer in a puppet theater, unseen by the audience but pulling the strings and controlling the show. And it must be said that the modest Beckenbauer was responsible for all the major victories of the West German national team and Bayern Munich. Beckenbauer never missed an opportunity to attack if it presented itself. It was he who scored the goal that inspired the downcast Germans in the quarterfinal match against England in the 1970 World Cup, after which West Germany not only equalized the score but also won in overtime, forcing the reigning world champions to step down.
Coaching Career and Later Life
Soon after retiring, Beckenbauer was offered the opportunity to try himself as a coach and take over as the head coach of the national team, replacing Jupp Derwall, who resigned after Germany's disappointing performance in the 1984 European Championship. Beckenbauer did not have a coaching license and formally did not have the right to be called the head coach of the team; he was referred to as the technical manager of the team. However, in reality, he made decisions related to player selection and tactics. Thanks to Beckenbauer's coaching talent, the West German national team reached the final of the 1986 World Cup, defeating the French national team led by Michel Platini in the semi-finals. Beckenbauer's shining moment as a coach came in the 1990 World Cup in Italy, where his team became champions. After winning the highest football title, Beckenbauer stepped down as coach and handed over the reins to his former teammate Berti Vogts. Currently, Franz Beckenbauer is the president of Bayern Munich and a member of the organizing committee for the 2006 World Cup, which will be held in Germany. In 2013, Beckenbauer became the first global ambassador for the international children's social program "Football for Friendship." According to Beckenbauer, the project is based on "values that truly change the world for the better."
On June 13, 2014, FIFA suspended Beckenbauer from any football-related activities for 90 days. This was due to his refusal to cooperate with the investigation into the selection of Qatar as the host country for the 2022 World Cup.
