Franz Beckenbauer, a German soccer legend who won a World Cup with Germany both as a player and as a coach, has died, his family announced on Monday. He was 78 years old.
Beckenbauer's family told Germany's dpa about his death. This was later announced by the German Football Federation.
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West Germany captain Franz Beckenbauer lifts the trophy after his team defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in the World Cup soccer final at the Olympic Stadium in Munich on July 7, 1974. (AP photo, file)
“It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday Sunday, surrounded by his family,” the family said. Stated. “We ask that you allow us to grieve in peace, no questions asked.”
Beckenbauer had battled health issues in recent years, and the cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
Beckenbauer, known as 'The Kaiser', led West Germany to World Cup victory in 1974 after losing to England in the 1966 final. He was the manager when West Germany won the championship in 1990.
“Kaiser was one of the best players our sport has ever seen,” said Bernd Neuendorf, president of the German Football Federation. “With his lightness, grace and foresight, he set standards on the field…Franz Beckenbauer left a great legacy for the federation and for football as a whole.”
FIFA executive committee member Franz Beckenbauer smiles at the World Cup award ceremony held in Herzogenaurach near Nuremberg in southern Germany on December 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Matthias Schroeder, File)
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also reacted to Beckenbauer's death, writing that Beckenbauer “gave generations of enthusiasm for German football and we will miss him.”
Apart from his achievements with the national team, Beckenbauer won the German Player of the Year award four times and won the Ballon d'Or twice. He played 427 games for Bayern Munich, scoring 60 goals and helping the team win several Bundesliga titles.
He also played for the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League.
Franz Beckenbauer, second from right, hugs teammate forward Jurgen Grabowski after West Germany beat the Netherlands at the World Cup in Munich, July 7, 1974. (AP photo, file)
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Beckenbauer has five children from three marriages.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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