Via dictation software that tried to change ‘Allardyce’ to ‘all the dishes’, John Nicholson was moved to write about the late Franz Beckenbauer from his hospital bed…
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Franz Beckenbauer was not a typical 60s and 70s player; he practically invented the libero role though much of the time he was notionally a centre-half. His peak years were in the first half of the 1970s but his legacy is timeless.
I remember seeing him play for West Germany in the 1972 Euros. He was amazing. He dictated the play from defence and would spray 70 yard diags like it was nothing. He was so good that he never had to look at the ball. He always had his head up, looking for an opportunity.
Not for nothing was he known as ‘Der Kaiser’. He was imperious, and it felt like there was an extra man playing for West Germany. I remember one game against England at Wembley which Germany won 3-1. And Beckenbauer ran the show. Because he wasn’t just a defender, he scored goals too. He scored four in the World Cup of 1966. He played the 1970 semi-final against Italy with a dislocated shoulder. It was strapped up. Can you imagine anybody doing that now?
He was also instrumental in the establishment of Bayern Munich as one of Europe’s big clubs. His decision to go to Bayern and not 1860 was a game changer. He led the club to three consecutive European Cups and transformed them into a German institution.
But it didn’t stop there. He also managed the national side to two World Cup finals, winning one. He was a good-natured man with a good sense of humour. He always wore very nice jackets. And despite the fact that he left broken relationships behind him, he remained a popular figure.
In some ways he embodies the arrogant German stereotype; certainly his play verged on the arrogant because he was so good. Comparing eras is a fools’ game, but it’s easy to imagine Beckenbauer playing in 2024. He had a perfect control of the ball. This was no up-your-arse defender and I can’t tell you how revolutionary this was.
In this era, defenders kicked and gouged. They were every team’s hard man. But this wasn’t Beckenbauer’s way. He was quite a slight man, not a Sam Allardyce-style bulldog. He looked athletic like a modern player and really stood out because of this.
It’s tempting to wonder what he would have been like on today’s pitches with proper physiotherapy. We have lost one of the legends of the game. The fact this double Ballon d’Or winner was a defender is even more remarkable. Few have left their mark the way Franz Beckenbauer has. Rest in peace Der Kaiser.
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