German World Cup-winning captain Beckenbauer dies at 78
GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY – JANUARY 30: Franz Beckenbauer looks on during the Bundesliga match between FC Schalke 04 and 1899 Hoffenheim at Veltins Arena on January 30, 2010 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Lars Baron | Bongarts | Getty Images
Franz Beckenbauer, one of German soccer’s greatest players, who captained the team to World Cup victory in 1974 then won the tournament again as manager in 1990, has died at the age of 78, German news agency DPA reported on Monday.
Beckenbauer was a classy, dominant presence on the pitch for West Germany and Bayern Munich, with whom he won three successive European Cups, and had the nickname Der Kaiser, or “The Emperor”.
