Legend Franz Beckenbauer passes away

"It is with great sadness that our husband and father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully yesterday (January 7) surrounded by his family. We ask for privacy during this difficult time ," the family of German legend Franz Beckenbauer said.

According to the Daily Mail, Beckenbauer's health has seriously declined since his eldest son, Stephan, suddenly passed away in 2015 after a long battle with illness. In recent years, the former Bayern defender suffered from Parkinson's disease (dementia). In addition, he also underwent heart surgery.

"One of the greatest players to ever appear in history," former player Gary Lineker expressed his grief.

"Beckenbauer has helped shape world football. He deserves special recognition. It's hard to find a player as great as Beckenbauer," Darren Fletcher wrote on his personal page.

Journalist Piers Morgan said: "Rest in peace. He was a great defender, a brilliant coach and a great example of the game ."

Beckenbauer had a great career, both as a player and a coach. His peak period began in 1964, when he played for Bayern Munich. During his 13 years playing in Bavaria, the "Emperor" won many titles, notably 4 Bundesliga championships, 3 European Cup championships (precursor of Champions League).

Playing for West Germany, Beckenbauer also won glory with the title of EURO 1972 and the World Cup 1974. The German legend is the only defender in history to win the Golden Ball twice, and is also among the eight players to complete the "treble" of World Cup, Champions League and Ballon d'Or, alongside Kaka, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Paolo Rossi, Gerd Muller and Bobby Charlton.

After retiring, Beckenbauer became a coach and continued to reap success when helping Germany win the 1990 World Cup. In history, besides Beckenbauer, only Didier Deschamps and Mario Zagallo have won the world championship as both a player and a coach. In the 1993/94 season, "The Emperor" returned to Bayern and helped the team win the national championship and the UEFA Cup (predecessor of the Europa League).

Minh Tu

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