Franz Beckenbauer, a rare figure who changed the face of football, passes away
Franz Beckenbauer, German football legend, dies. Beckenbauer leaves having achieved everything in football.
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Captain of the West German team, Franz Beckenbauer, lifted the trophy of the 1974 World Cup at the Olympic Stadium in Munich, Germany, on July 7, 1974. Beckenbauer, who had lifted the World Cup trophy as both a player and a coach, passed away at the age of 78 on Sunday (7/1/2024).
Sad news enveloped the football world in less than a week. After the Brazilian legend, Mario Jorge Zagallo, passed away on Friday (5/1/2024), another legendary figure has also left us and caused deep sorrow. He is Franz Beckenbauer (78), the German legend who has achieved everything and transformed the face of football with his interpretations.
Beckenbauer's departure was first announced through a statement by his family to the German news agency, dpa, and later confirmed by the German football federation. The statement did not mention the cause of his death. However, the former Bayern Munich star has been struggling with health issues in recent years.
"With deep sadness, we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday (7/1/2024), surrounded by his family," the family said in their statement.
Also read: The Passing of Zagallo, Symbol of Brazilian Football Glory
Franz Beckenbauer is a rare figure. Beckenbauer is only one of three people who have lifted the World Cup trophy as both a player and a coach. The other two are Mario Zagallo and Didier Deschamps (France).
Legendary German footballer, Franz Beckenbauer, poses in Paris, France, in a photo dated February 21, 1977. Beckenbauer, who once lifted the World Cup trophy as a player and coach, passed away at the age of 78 on Sunday (7/1/2024).
As a player, Beckenbauer led West Germany to clinch the 1974 World Cup trophy. More than a decade later, Beckenbauer again lifted the trophy as coach of Germany in the 1990 World Cup.
Beckenbauer's brilliance was already evident when he appeared in the 1966 World Cup final against England. The English coach at the time, Sir Alf Ramsey, even gave special instructions for Bobby Charlton to stick closely to Beckenbauer. Beckenbauer, who was only 20 years old at the time, was also tasked with guarding Charlton.
As a result, Beckenbauer and Charlton effectively clashed against each other when England finally won 4-2. However, that was not the only meeting of these two great talents. They met and became key players in their respective teams during the quarterfinals of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
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England led the game, but Charlton was then replaced after Beckenbauer retaliated with a goal to reduce West Germany's deficit to 1-2 against England. However, the substitution became one of the most pivotal moments in Ramsey's reign.
Photo archives show German football legend Franz Beckenbauer posing alongside German supermodel Claudia Schiffer during a press conference in Zurich, Switzerland on July 5, 2000. At the time, Germany had submitted their bid to host the 2006 World Cup. Beckenbauer, who had once lifted the World Cup trophy as both a player and coach, passed away at the age of 78.
The withdrawal of Charlton broke the shackles of Beckenbauer, inspiring the West German resurgence with a 3-2 victory. In the semifinals, West Germany lost 3-4 to Italy. However, Beckenbauer once again became the center of attention as he played with his right shoulder dislocated. Both substitute players were then brought in.
As a player for Bayern Munich, Beckenbauer won four league titles and captained three European Cup victories in 1974, 1975, and 1976. He also won the Bundesliga with Hamburg in 1982.
Beckenbauer, who played as a defender, played 582 times for Bayern Munich and won the top German competition as both a player and a coach. As a player, he was also known to be authoritative and had leadership qualities, earning him the nickname "Der Kaiser" or The Emperor. It is said that the nickname also came about because of Beckenbauer's resemblance to the king of Bavaria, Kaiser Ludwig II.
Also read: Japan repays Germany with "Tuba Water"
Uli Hoeness, the honorary president of Bayern Munich and former teammate, described Beckenbauer as a figure with the greatest personality ever held by the club. Beckenbauer was a player, coach, president, and unforgettable individual.
"People can say they watched football during the time of Franz Beckenbauer. He is my friend, a unique colleague and a gift to us all," said Uli.
Two football legends, Franz Beckenbauer and Pele, attended a press conference in New York, USA, in a photo dated April 7th, 2006. Beckenbauer, who had lifted the trophy as a player and coach of the World Cup, has passed away at the age of 78.
When Franz Beckenbauer enters a room, the room lights up.
Even experienced translators can sometimes encounter challenges, such as the need to respect rules around forbidden words in translation. As a translator working for a media agency, I specialize in translating Indonesian news/articles into English with a formal grammar style. One of the challenges I face is the list of forbidden words that cannot be translated as they have specific meanings in Bahasa Indonesia. As a result, it's important to note that any given article to be translated could contain one or all of the above forbidden words, and I need to ensure that these words remain intact and not translated. Moving on to the task at hand, I will now provide a translation for the following Indonesian article: Julian Nagelsmann, the current coach of Germany, also feels the loss of Franz Beckenbauer. According to Nagelsmann, Beckenbauer is a football player and coach that stands above all. "When Franz Beckenbauer enters a room, the room lights up," he says.
Free man
One more thing that Nagelsmann remembers about Beckenbauer is his interpretation of the libero role. Nagelsmann said that Beckenbauer changed the game because of his interpretation. That role and his friendship with the ball made Beckenbauer a free man.
Also read: It's time for Germany to learn from Japan
Basically, "libero" derived from the Italian word means "free". This term describes a player who serves as a protector behind the defensive line. This is not a completely new concept in football in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
However, almost no one plays in that rare position like Beckenbauer. With his vision, elegance and ability on the ball, Beckenbauer is considered a pioneer for bringing an attacking element to the deepest outfield positions on the pitch.
German football legend, Franz Beckenbauer, is seen in an archive photo dated May 20, 2017, attending a German League match between Bayern Munich and SC Freiburg in Munich, Germany. Beckenbauer passed away at the age of 78 on Sunday (1/7/2024).
Beckenbauer is a player who initiates the attack for his teams, both for Bayern Munich and West Germany. This Munich-born player will run from the back with the ball at his feet. Alternatively, he will send a long pass forward for his teammates.
"When I was still a child, he was the first foreign footballer I ever heard of," wrote former English and Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher in X, previously Twitter. "That's because if there was a player who tried to play from the back, whether at the professional or amateur level, I would hear, 'He thinks he's Beckenbauer'."
Carragher added, "It only shows the impact he has on the world of football and how he helps to change it."
Also read: When German Legends were World Champions
Beckenbauer actually started his career as a central midfielder, the position he played in the 1966 World Cup final. However, as a libero—or as some people call him a sweeper—he was phenomenal because of his ability to read the game and observe the scene in front of him.
"He's basically a midfielder who plays at the back and he makes it look so easy," Paul Lambert, a 1997 Champions League winner with Borussia Dortmund, told the BBC.
German football legend, Franz Beckenbauer (left), while playing for New York Cosmos, was in action during an MLS football league match in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in an archived photo dated May 1, 1983. Beckenbauer passed away at the age of 78 on Sunday (7/1/2024).
If players like these usually become center-backs in a three-back formation, Beckenbauer is one of two center-backs used as a libero behind the Munich three-player line. He will pick his moments to step out and strengthen the midfield.
The role has disappeared from the current game, but still exists for the center back who plays the ball in a four-back formation, like David Alaba at Real Madrid. Or a few years ago, the role was played by Rio Ferdinand at Manchester United.
With what Beckenbauer has achieved, it's reasonable that he later reaped everything. Aside from trophies with his club and national team, he also won the Ballon d'Or award twice (1972 and 1976) and placed second in the voting in 1974 and 1975. It's understandable that his passing brought sadness not only to the public in Germany, but the world.
Sadness and loss were conveyed by living football legends, starting from Liverpool and Scotland legend, Kenny Dalglish; English goalkeeper during the penalty shootout defeat in the 1990 semifinals by West Germany, Peter Shilton; as well as former English striker, Gary Lineker, who played in the 1986 and 1990 World Cup.
Also read: The God's Encouragement for Munich
Bayern Munich's rival in the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund, also expressed their condolences for the loss of a great German footballer. And, the world after Beckenbauer's departure may feel as described by Bayern Munich: "Suddenly becoming darker, quieter, worse," wrote Munich. (AP/REUTERS)
