FRANZ BECKENBAUER THE LEGEND
Franz Beckenbauer is without a shadow of doubt a legend of the game mainly due to his achievements as a professional footballer. ‘Der Kaiser’ as he’s fondly called is widely regarded by many as the best defender to ever play the round leather game. Franz Beckenbauer is credited for the modern sweeper role, which was known as libero in the 70s. He started the trend of defensive players moving the ball out of defence and towards the opposition. Franz Beckenbauer was a visionary both as a player and as a manager.
Franz Beckenbauer had already established himself as a legend of German football and he sealed it when he led West Germany to another World Cup title on Italian soil. Franz Beckenbauer and West Germany beat defending champions Argentina 1-0 in the final courtesy the penalty from defender Andreas Brehme to win the 1990 FIFA World Cup tournament in the European nation of Italy. It was the third World Cup title for West Germany, now known as the German national team. Franz Beckenbauer had earlier won the second World Cup title for West Germany as a player some 16 years earlier at the World Cup tournament on home soil. At the end of the tournament in Italy, he became the first man to win the World Cup as a player and as a manager.
Tags: Franz Beckenbauer