Franz Beckenbauer captained West Germany to victory against Netherlands in the final of 1974 World Cup
By Kehinde Okeowo
Former Germany defender and coach, Franz Beckenbauer has passed away at the age of 78.
According to his family, the two-time Ballon d’Or winner died following an illness on Sunday, January 7.
A statement released by his family to the German news agency dpa read: “It is with deep sadness that we announce that husband and father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family. We ask that you be able to mourn in silence and refrain from asking any questions.”
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Beckenbauer captained West Germany to victory over the Netherlands in the final of 1974 World Cup, playing every minute of the triumphant campaign.
Originally starting out as a midfielder, the German legend transitioned to a defensive role in the 1970s and achieved remarkable success, making a total of 103 appearances for Germany and recording 14 goals and 10 assists.
In 1990, he became the second man to win the World Cup as a player and manager after Brazil’s Mario Zagallo who died on Friday. However, France’s Didier Deschamps has since joined that exclusive club.