Der Kaiser passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, according to a family statement.
Franz Beckenbauer, the legendary German football player and manager, died at the age of 78 on Sunday at his family home.
Franz Beckenbauer also known as ‘Der Kaiser’, has won the Ballon d’Or twice and the World Cup twice — as captain of West Germany in 1974 and again as manager in 1990 — making him one of only three people to win the mega tournament as both a player and a manager.
In addition, he won the European Championship in 1972.
Franz Beckenbauer’s family said in a statement to the German news agency DPA, “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”, according to the BBC.
Bayern, Germany’s most successful football club, stated, “The world of FC Bayern is no longer what it used to be—Suddenly darker, quieter, poorer, Bayern would never have become the club it is today.”
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The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) paid tribute on their official X account, writing, “‘Der Kaiser’ was an extraordinary player, successful coach, and popular pundit who shaped German football like no other.”
Beckenbauer played for West Germany 103 times, won four league titles, and was captain of German powerhouse Bayern Munich, leading the club to three European Cup victories in 1974, 1975, and 1976. He won the Bundesliga with Hamburg in 1982.
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After leaving Bayern, Beckenbauer joined the New York Cosmos, where he and Brazilian great Pele helped to expand the North American Soccer League.
He retired in 1983 and was named West Germany’s manager less than a year later, despite having no prior managerial experience.
The football world mourns his death, with Gianni Infantino, president of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), describing Beckenbauer as “a legend of German and world football”.
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