Former Bayern Munich and Germany captain Franz Beckenbauer has died aged 78.
The legendary defender collected 103 caps for West Germany, winning the 1972 European championship and then the World Cup on home soil two years later having lost in the final to England in 1966.
After captaining his country to World Cup victory, he won the tournament again as manager in 1990. He is part of an exclusive club of just three men alongside Didier Deschamps and Brazilian legend Mario Zagallo - who also passed away last week - to achieve that feat.
Beckenbauer, nicknamed Der Kaiser, or "The Emperor", was a classy, dominant presence on the pitch for West Germany and Bayern Munich in the 1960s and 70s, using the calmness on the ball and effortless distribution that marked his midfield performances to virtually invent the central defensive sweeper role where he found most success.
Beckenbauer played for his home town club for 13 years, making over 400 appearances and picking up five Bundesliga titles, as well as winning three successive European Cups. He also won the Ballon d'Or on two occasions.
He finished his career in 1984 following a spell with the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League.
Off the pitch, Beckenbauer had spells as president at Bayern and vice president of the German Football Association. - Reuters
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