Franz Beckenbauer: Imperious Kaiser

Franz Anton Beckenbauer was born on 11 September 1945. He is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser ("The Emperor") because of his elegant style; his leadership; his first name "Franz" (reminiscent of the Austrian emperors), and his dominance on the football pitch.

He is generally regarded as the greatest German footballer of all time and one of the greatest and most decorated footballers in the history of the game.

Beckenbauer was a versatile player, who started out as a midfielder, but made his name as a defender. He is often credited as having invented the role of the modern sweeper.

Franz Beckenbauer

Surname: Beckenbauer

Firstname: Franz

Country: Germany

Date of birth: 1945-09-11

Birthplace: Munich

Height: 180 cm

Weight: 77.0 kg

Playing Career

Position: Midfielder, sweeper

Clubs: Munich 1906 (1954-1958), Bayern Munich (1958-1977), New York Cosmos (USA/1977-1980), Hamburg (1980-1982), New York Cosmos (USA/1983)

International appearances: 103 (1965-1977)

International goals: 14

International debut: 26/09/1965, Sweden-West Germany (1-2)

Last international appearance: 23/02/1977, France-West Germany (1-0)

First international goal: 23/03/1966, Holland-West Germany (2-4)

Last international goal: 06/10/1976, Wales-West Germany (0-2)

Playing Honours

International: World Cup: winner (1974), finalist (1966), 3rd (1970), 3 appearances, 18 matches, 5 goals

European Championships: winner (1972), finalist (1976), 2 appearances, 4 matches, 0 goals

Club

-European Cups (1974, 1975, 1976)

-Cup Winners' Cup (1967)

-Intercontinental Cup (1976)

-West German Championships (1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1982)

-West German Cups (1966, 1967, 1969, 1971)

-North American Championships (1977, 1978, 1980)

Other honours

-European footballer of the year (1972, 1976)

Coaching Career

Clubs: Marseille (Fra/1990), Bayern Munich (1993-1994), Bayern Munich (April-June 1996)

Coaching Honours

-UEFA Cup (1996)

-German Championship (1994)

National Coaching Career: West Germany/Germany (Sept. 1984-July 1990)

National Team Coaching Honours

World Cup: winner (1990), finalist (1986)

European Championship: semi-finalist (1988)

66 matches, 35 wins, 18 draws, 13 defeats, 107 goals for, 61 against

Managing Career

Marseille (Fra/technical director/Jan.-Aug. 1991)

Bayern Munich (president/since 1994)

Others

President of the Organizing Committee of the 2006 World Cup in Germany

Clean sweep for Imperious Kaiser

Having invented the role of attacking sweeper, Franz Beckenbauer put his imperious skills to awesome effect in his glory days when he won every major trophy on offer during a golden four year spell between 1972 and 1976.

The 1972 European championship was soon followed by the World Cup and he was also at the heart of a Bayern Munich side that won three straight European Cups and three German championships.

This natural leader was twice awarded the European Footballer of the year award for his innovative style, beginning moves deep in his own half before moving forward to create and score goals.

As a coach he then led West Germany to the 1986 World Cup final and a unified Germany to victory at Italia 90 (both matches against Argentina), thereby becoming the second man, after Brazil's Mario Zagallo, to win the World Cup as both player and coach.

Small wonder they call him 'The Kaiser'!

He is also widely credited with edging South Africa for the right to stage the 2006 World Cup, which he then presided over with the same elegance he exhibited as a player.

The making of a Legend

After joining Bayern as a left-back come midfielder at 13 the gifted apprentice set about building himself a unique position within the team and was good enough at 20 to be taken to the 1966 World Cup.

He was inconspicuous during the final where Germany crashed to a 4-2 defeat to hosts England, with whom he would enjoy years of rivalry.

West Germany came from behind in the 1970 World Cup quarter-final with Beckenbauer coming forward to narrow the deficit to 2-1 and launch a 3-2 win.

All Beckenbauer's qualities came to the surface in an unforgettable semi-final against Italy.

With his arm in a sling after dislocating his shoulder, he heroically led the charge against an inspired Italian team, but his efforts were in vain as Italy finally won the match 4-3 after extra-time.

Bayern won domestic titles in 1969, 1972, 1973 and 1974 and successive European Cup triumphs in 1974, 1975 and 1976 as he also won the Ballon d'or in 1972 and 1976.

The first of those awards followed West Germany's 3-0 triumph over the Soviet Union in the final of the 1972 European Championships marking the start of the apex of his glittering playing career.

In 1974, he not only led Bayern to a 4-0 European Cup final win over Atletico Madrid but then captained West Germany on home soil at the 1974 World Cup, where victory was earned by a classic 2-1 come-from-behind win over the 'Total Football' of Johan Cruyff and Holland.

With Bayern he twice retained the European Cup with final wins over Leeds and St. Etienne. Thanks to that triple he would be awarded a second Ballon d'or in 1976. He was 31 and despite an Indian summer at New York Cosmos and a title winning return with Hamburg, his best playing days were behind him.

He retired in 1984 and regardless of a lack of coaching experience was soon handed the job of guiding West Germany to the 1986 World Cup. In Argentina, Beckenbauer's side featuring Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Lothar Matthaus lost out in the final to Diego Maradona's Argentina.

The crowning glory of his career of course was the 1990 World Cup in Italy where revenge was gained over England in a semi-final shoot-out and scores settled with a weakened Argentina in the final, where a late penalty sealed Beckenbauer's place in the history books.

Since 2009 he has been honorary president of Bayern Munich, the club so much of his glory depended on.