Franz Beckenbauer

Caoimhin O’Muraile ⚑ Franz Anton Beckenbauer was born in the post WWII ruins of Munch, West Germany on 11th September 1945 and died on 7th January 2024.
Franz Beckenbauer

He would become one of the all-time greats of world football nicknamed “Der Kaiser” (The Emperor) spending most of his club career at Bayern Munich. He also played for, later in life, New York Cosmos and Hamburg SV. He was an international playing for the then West German national side collecting 103 caps and scoring 14 goals. He went on to manage the West German national side becoming one of only three players to win the trophy as both a player and manager, winning the World Cup as a player in 1974 and manager in 1990, the last German national side not to contain players from the former East Germany, GDR.

The other players to achieve this were Brazil’s Zagallo, winning the World Cup as a player in 1958 and 1962 and as a manager with Brazil in 1970, France’s Didier Deschamps won it as a player in 1998 and manager in 2018. As a young man he supported 1860 Munich then the premier side in the city but went on to sign for rivals Bayern in 1959, Bayern Munich becoming the better of the two sides after 1860 faded. He was one of nine players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the European Cup and the Ballon d Or, Bobby Charlton of Man Utd being another player to collect all three.

My own memories of Beckenbauer go back, vaguely to 1966 when he made his World Cup debut for West Germany, man for man marking Bobby Charlton in the final of that year’s competition losing 4-2 to England, the host nation at Wembley Stadium. Beckenbauer once said “England were only able to beat us in 1966 because Bobby Charlton was a little bit better than me”, a tribute from one great player to another. In the 1970 World Cup in Mexico West Germany got their revenge on England beating them 3-2 with Beckenbauer scoring their opening goal. being 2-0 down at the time. Some people argue that game cost British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, his premiership in that year’s General Election? The West German side of that year was full of class with Beckenbauer playing alongside Berti Vogts, Gerd Muller, Paul Breitner with Sepp Mair in goal. It was a close game and I can remember watching it on TV, black and white, eating a packet of Quavers.

Beckenbauer is often credited with being the originator of the ‘Sweeper’ position in defence sometimes becoming an attacking defender. His 14 goals for West Germany bear testimony to his ability to occasionally go on the attack, though it was in defence he was famed. He made his debut for Bayern Munich on 6th June 1964 against St. Pauli in a Bundesliga promotion play off, he played then on the left wing, later switching to defence, and went on to become the first player to win three European Cups consecutively between 1974 and 1976, when Bayern then kept the trophy due to these three successive wins in the competition. Beckenbauer was appointed Bayern Munich team captain in 1967-68 season, a position he maintained throughout his career with the German giants. During his tenure at Bayern the club won three Bundesliga titles in a row between 1972 and 1974. In 1977 he accepted a lucrative contract to play for New York Cosmos alongside Pele. In 1980 he returned to Germany to play for SV Hamburg helping them to win the Bundesliga.

Franz Beckenbauer was one of the all-time greats, along with Pele, Bobby Charlton, Eusebio, George Best, Denis Law, Ferenc Puskas, Alfredo Di Stefano of Real Madrid, Maradona, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He represented an era when it was great to be a football fan, a time when the game was played as it should be played, hard but fair. In those days full of fond memories for me there was none of the nonsense of today’s farce like VAR and penalties given for tripping over a blade of grass. As the years pass all the greats of bygone days are passing, Bobby Charlton died in October 2023, Pele went in 2022, George Best died at an early age, 59, in 2005 and Beckenbauer’s compatriot, Gerd Muller, died on 15th August 2021. Of the England team which won the FIFA World Cup in 1966 only Geoff Hurst is left. England’s answer to Beckenbauer, Bobby Moore who captained the 1966 side died in 1993. Great memories of great days. Franz Beckenbauer died on 7th January 2024 in Saltzburg, Austria.

Thanks a million for the memories Franz - you were a true great never to be forgotten. The likes of such players are unlikely to be seen gracing what passes these days for a football field ever again and for those of us lucky enough to have seen such greats thanks for the privilege and memories.

Franz Beckenbauer – 11th September 1945 7th January 2024

Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist.