"World football has lost its Emperor," wrote Gazzetta dello Sport (Italy) about the passing of Franz Beckenbauer. The German legend passed away at the age of 78.
Why is Beckenbauer called "Emperor"?
The interesting thing about Beckenbauer's nickname is that its appearance had nothing to do with his footballing talent. A German newspaper called the current star that when pointing out that Beckenbauer's facial features resembled the former Bavarian king Ludwig II.
Beckenbauer lifts the 1974 World Cup trophy
After that, his outstanding performances on the field "nailed" the nickname "Emperor" for the Bayern Munich legend. Documents all mention a time mark of the 2-1 victory over Schalke in 1969, when Beckenbauer overshadowed striker Reinhard Libuda - who was known as "the king of Westphalia". The British newspaper The Guardian later explained: "Only the Emperor can overshadow the King".
The nickname "The Emperor" is the most concise and concise way to describe the greatness of Franz Beckenbauer. In the world of football, he is an icon comparable to Pele - the so-called "King of Football".
Beckenbauer's brilliance and contributions to football are so great that it is difficult to list them all. That is why the world media likes to use short words like "the greatest player", "the greatest defender" or simply the nickname "Emperor" which says it all.
"The greatest player in history," wrote the Sun (UK). "World football has lost a piece of history," commented the Austrian newspaper Kurier. Der Standard wrote: " Franz Beckenbauer was the guiding light of German football. He was the Emperor of football."
Corriere dello Sport (Italy) called Beckenbauer "the greatest defender of all time", "a revolutionary on the football field and a talented coach". La Repubblica likened: "Franz Beckenbauer is like a conductor who helps the whole orchestra unleash all its talent".
One of the many details that speak to Franz Beckenbauer's greatness is that he created a position that has yet to have a copy, or an improved version, that has achieved as much as the original. "No one can touch Beckenbauer's level," Kicker asserted.
Beckenbauer invented the libero position in football.
The current generation of football fans only get to see Beckenbauer play through limited footage from the black and white era. The 1970s were Beckenbauer's most successful period. He and Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga three times in a row and the European Cup three times in a row. Playing for the West German national team, Beckenbauer won a EURO and a World Cup, where his mark was big enough to win the Golden Ball (1972) and the Silver Ball (1974).
"He was a great player, aggressive, quick and always dangerous. He could do extraordinary things with his speed, control and skill," Sir Bobby Charlton - English football legend - said about the biggest rival in his career.
England, in their only World Cup win, had to send their greatest player to mark the "Emperor". Franz Beckenbauer - a defender - scored 4 goals, only behind Eusebio (Portugal, 9 goals) and teammate Helmut Haller (6 goals).
When the West German team won the 1974 World Cup, Franz Beckenbauer - according to Kicker - played an even bigger role than head coach Helmut Schon.
Beckenbauer's coaching career was as brilliant as his playing years. He led the German team to the 1986 World Cup final when they were not highly rated. Two years later, Beckenbauer and his students won the world championship in Italy. He became the second person in the history of world football to win the World Cup as both a player and a coach. The first person to do this was Mario Zagallo, who passed away a few days ago.
Beckenbauer won the French Ligue 1 title with Olympique Marseille in 1991 and the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in 1994, before becoming club president from 1994 to 2009. He also served as vice-president of the German Football Association (DFB) from 1998 to 2010.
It was in this position that he led the successful bid for the right to host the 2006 World Cup, an achievement that would later become a black mark on the great legend's record. Beckenbauer was caught up in corruption and bribery allegations. However, even in this scandal, the "Emperor" is still considered the one who made the contribution to bringing the World Cup to Germany, contributing significantly to the reform of football in this country.
Han Phong
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