FranzBECKENBAUERhas died at the age of 78, his family has confirmed.
Beckenbauer enjoyed a long career in football as both a player and manager after coming through the Bayern Munich youth system in 1964. He played for the Bavarian outfit, in the city where he was born, for 13 years winning countless trophies including two Ballons d'Or.
The Bavarian defender is best known for his exploits with his national team and was a huge part of the West Germany side that won the World Cup in 1974. He and Sir Bobby Charlton were tasked with man-marking one another in the 1966 World Cup Final were they cancelled out one another to some extent. England went on to win the final in extra time. Beckenbauer finished joint third on the list of top scorers for the competition.
After two brief spells in New York either side of two years at Hamburg, Beckenbauer retired from playing and became a manager - taking charge of West Germany in his first job, where he won the World Cup.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Franz Beckenbauer, and invite you to pay tribute below.
*Credit mirror.co.uk for the story.
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