German footballer-turned-manager Franz Beckenbauer, a legend of the game, has died at his family home aged 78, his family confirmed on Sunday.
Beckenbauer, known as “Der Kaiser”, won the Ballon d’Or twice and also secured the World Cup title twice – as captain of West Germany in 1974 and again as manager in 1990 – becoming one of only three people to do so. win a mega tournament as a player and as a manager.
In addition, he also won the European Championship in 1972.
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, died peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family.” the BBC reported.
Germany’s most successful football club Bayern said: “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.”
In a tribute from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) on their official X account, the governing body wrote: “Der Kaiser was an extraordinary player, successful coach and popular scholar who shaped German football like no other.”
