![]() In the same tournament he came to the rescue of coach Schön who broke down after the loss to East Germany the coach was unable to speak and locked himself in his room. Here, a classic move as Beckenbauer shows himself to be one of the greatest attacking defenders ever.īeckenbauer had a massive influence on the West German side in the 1974 World Cup in Germany both as a player and an unofficial “assistant manager.” When the team threatened to walk away from their own World Cup because they were being paid less than the Dutch and Italians, he convinced them to accept the lesser pay. His amazing runs from the back defined Der Kaiser’s career. He finished the World Cup tied for third top goalscorer with four goals from his defensive position. In the future he would not again be told to stay back and simply defend. This defeat was integral in defining Beckenbauer’s true strength and import to the West German team. In the end Beckenbauer focused on his defensive role, did not attack in his trademark manner, and England defeated Germany to win its first and only World Cup. How much should Beckenbauer be held back?Ĭramer argued that having Beckenbauer simply mark Bobby Charlton-England’s best player-would be counterproductive because it would rob Germany of its major creative force. However, Dettmar Cramer, the West German assistant coach summed up the dilemma that Beckenbauer’s coaches faced early in his career: The position demanded that the player stay back, and mark the opponent’s star he was the last line of defense. For anyone other than Beckenbauer, sweeper was one of the most unambiguous positions on the field. Kissinger is a former U.S.A Young Beckenbauer and a young King Ludwig II The 1966 World CupWhen Germany reached the World Cup final in 1966 the question was, “How was Beckenbauer to be used?” The dilemma the German team faced with the 22-year-old Beckenbauer speaks to the special role that he had in the team. Not for nothing is Beckenbauer's nickname in Germany "der Kaiser" the Emperor. But he was instrumental in securing the 2006 World Cup for Germany that will solidify his status in the soccer world and perpetuate his role as a dominant figure of his country. Few pro athletes, even stars, enjoy comparable success in later life. Beckenbauer's abilities also helped him coach the national team to victory in the 1990 World Cup and foreshadowed his later career. Those qualities proved decisive in that World Cup final and also produced four German championships and three European Cups for the Bayern Munich team he captained. He gave the position a new dimension by transforming it into a dual-purpose role: organizing the defense and, on the attack, acting with his subtle passes as a quarterback does in American football. Beckenbauer played the position of sweeper or libero the defensive marshal who fills whatever holes the attacking team has managed to pry open. Germany scored the decisive goal just before halftime. ![]() I saw Franz Beckenbauer play for the first time when he captained the German national team to a 2-1 victory in the 1974 World Cup final in Munich over the technically superior side from the Netherlands. No other soccer figure, except possibly Pele, has ever reached the mythic status of Beckenbauer, who has planned the Cup with a combination of meticulous professionalism and personal attention. ![]() ![]() Fortunately for Germany, Beckenbauer, 60, is of a stature beyond the reach of those passions. He must satisfy 32 national passions, all but one of which will be disappointed. Being president of the organizing committee of the World Cup is a particularly delicate and complicated job. Widely considered the best soccer player ever produced by Germany, he will preside over a tournament of 32 teams, including one from the U.S, the survivors of an elimination process involving 194 teams, that has gone on for more than two years. During the month of June, no sportsman will be able to rival the attention focused on Franz Beckenbauer. ![]()
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