Another brief spell with the Cosmos followed, before Der Kaiser hung up his boots in 1983. He returned to Germany for brief spell at Hamburg, helping them win the Bundesliga title at the age of 37. He captained West Germany to their 1974 World Cup and 1972 European Championship triumphs, while also leading his hometown club Bayern Munich to three successive European Cups and four German league titles before leaving in 1977.Īnd then there was the host of individual honours - including being named a four-time German Footballer of the Year and two-time European Footballer of the Year - which were bestowed on him.Īfter leaving Bayern, Beckenbauer was lured to play for the New York Cosmos where, alongside Pele, he was the poster boy of the burgeoning North American Soccer League. When Pele - the Brazil legend himself considered peerless in terms of footballing ability - speaks about someone in such glowing terms, then you know that player must have been something special.īeckenbauer was as well known for being a stylish defender, playing with grace and guile from the back, as he was for winning many trophies. "Beckenbauer was one of the best I ever saw play." A pioneering player Franz Beckenbauer played almost his entire career at Bayern Munich, finishing with New York Cosmos in 1983 Here, BBC Sport looks at how the defender from Munich became universally known as 'Der Kaiser' or 'The Emperor'. The 70-year-old has been a household name in German football - and across the world - for more than 50 years.īut now Beckenbauer's reputation could be tarnished if allegations of corruption, which he denies, are found to be true.
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