Franz Beckenbauer
Kaiser Won World Cup as Player and Coach, Brought Germany 2006 Cup
Beckenbauer is synonymous with German soccer like no other person. The Munich native was a true superstar as a player, leading the club Bayern Munich and Hamburg to five German league titles. The former defender also guided the German national team to the 1974 World Cup title.
Celebrated Loads of Championships
Beckenbauer, who also went by the nickname Kaiser Franz, celebrated his share of victories - many with fellow German greats Sepp Maier and Gerd Müller with whom he played in his amateur days. Besides leading Bayern to four Bundesliga crowns (1969, 1972, 1973, 1974) and Hamburg (1982) to one cup, Beckenbauer was the leader of a Bayern team which claimed three straight European Champions Cup (today Champions League) crowns (1974, 1975, 1976), the 1967 European Cup Winners Cup, the 1976 Intercontinental Cup and four German Cup titles (1966, 1967, 1969, 1971).
Helped Try to Build Up Soccer U.S.
Beckenbauer, who also was European champion with Germany 1972, decided to move to the United States in 1977 to play for the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. Playing alongside Brazilian legend Pele, Beckenbauer helped New York to three championships (1977, 1978, 1980).
Playing in the United Stats actually ended his career with the German national team since the German federation did not want to nominate players who played abroad. Beckenbauer returned to Germany for three seasons (1980-82) with Hamburg and won one title (1982) before going back to the U.S. in 1983 for one more season with the Cosmos.
Success Also As Non-Trained Coach
The German national team suffered an embarrassing first round exit at the 1984 European Championships, resulting in Beckenbauer taking over as "team boss" since he could not be coach without an official coaching license. Beckenbauer guided Germany to the final of the 1986 World Cup, losing to Argentina. At the 1988 European Championship in its home nation, Germany was knocked off by the Netherlands in the semifinals.
But Beckenbauer's biggest success came two years later when he won the 1990 World Cup title as Germany boss, getting revenge on the Netherlands in the Round of 16. In the final, Germany beat Argentina for its third world title. And Beckenbauer, who wandered around the field after the game alone to take in the moment, received the distinction of following Brazilian Mario Zagallo as the only other person to win a World Cup as a player and coach.
Honorary Coaching License
The German federation awarded Beckenbauer an honorary coaching license which was valid to coach clubs as well. And the brought French side Olympique Marseille to the 1991 final of the European Champions Cup, losing against Red Star Belgrade in penalties. He would the next season become vice president at his former club Bayern and twice finished the season at the helm after coaching firings, winning the 1994 German league title and the 1996 UEFA Cup.
Bayern President Presided Over Titles
In 1994, he actually took over as Bayern president, a position he still holds today During his tenure, Bayern has won nine league crowns (1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008) as well as six German Cup crowns (1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008). Bayern also finally returned to the top of Europe by capturing the 2001 Champions League title in 2001.
Brought World Cup to Germany
The 63-year-old's work outside Bayern also includes being a vice president with the German soccer federation DFB. And it was his tireless efforts which helped Germany secure the right to host the 2006 World Cup, where Germany finished third.
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