German football legend Franz Beckenbauer has passed away at the age of 78 and will go down as one of the greatest defenders ever to play the game.
The centre-back began his career at Bayern Munich, coming through the Bavarian club’s youth ranks before experiencing an incredible career with the German giants.
Beckenbauer would go on to win four Bundesliga titles, four DFB-Pokals and three European Cups during his 13 years at the Munich-based club, before heading for heading to the United States to play for the New York Cosmos in 1977.
The defender would return to Germany in 1980 to join Hamburger SV, and there is where the legendary star would win a fifth German title.
However, Beckenbauer made his name on football’s biggest stage.
Germany and Bayern Munich legend Franz Beckenbauer, one of the greatest players of all time, has died at the age of 78 pic.twitter.com/rKCkjGsJ9R
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 8, 2024
Beckenbauer is one of only three men to win the World Cup as a player and manager. The defender captained the German national team to glory at their home tournament in 1974, before going on to repeat the feat as a manager in 1990 in Italy.
The defender would also win the European Championship in 1972, where Germany defeated the Soviet Union 3-0 in Belgium.
Overall, Beckenbauer earned 104 caps for his country and made a big impact on football in his home nation. The defender is a legendary figure across the football community as a whole but his passing will be hard to take for a lot of German people who will have heard the news on Monday.