Once again, we find ourselves months away from the greatest spectacle in sports – the FIFA World Cup. And as such, we are here to pay tribute to one of its greatest stars of all-time, the indomitable Franz Beckenbauer, also known as the Kaiser.
Beckenbauer can easily be named alongside the game’s greatest legends such as Pele, Maradona, Platini, Maldini, and Messi. He is a two-time World Cup winner, winning once in 1972 with West Germany, and another in 1990 as a team manager. He was also the first to win the World Cup, European Championship, and European Cup (on club level) as a captain.
Image source: arjyomitra94.wordpress.com
Beckenbauer is called the Kaiser because of his leadership on the pitch. His talent though goes well beyond that. In fact, sports writers and historians have held him responsible for the creation of the “sweeper” position in football – a position of great importance, wherein the player takes control of defense, playmaking, and offense. Beckenbauer revolutionized the defender’s position, evidence of just how far ahead of his time he was as a footballer.
Image source: Twitter.com
In 1998, Beckenbauer was named as part of the World Team of the 20th Century, and four years later, would be included in the FIFA World Cup Dream Team. In 2004, Beckenbauer would be part of the 100 greatest players of FIFA.
Hey there, I’m Allen Hartman, a writer and sports commentator from San Diego. Follow me on Twitter to get the latest updates on sports.
No comments:
Post a Comment