Germany mourns loss of "Kaiser" Franz Beckenbauer
The German football world was rocked this afternoon by the news that its most iconic figure had passed away. All denizens of the Bundesrepublik mourn the loss of "the Kaiser". Franz Beckenbauer has died at the age of 78.
The man who perhaps exemplified German football more than anyone else has shuffled of his mortal coil. Franz Beckenbauer - the iconic German footballer known as "the Kaiser" passed away at his home today at the age of 78. A statement released by Beckenbauer's family noted that the German footballing legend died this afternoon "surrounded by his family".
It had been known for sometime that Beckenbauer was struggling with various health problems. A Parkinson's diagnosis and associated dementia led to him withdrawing from the public eye recently. The precise cause of death was not revealed by Beckenbauer's family, who respectfully requested additional time to process their grief.
During his playing career, Beckenbauer captured both a World Championship (1974) and a European crown (1972) with the German national team. As the country's fourth "Bundestrainer", Beckenbauer forever immortalized himself as the head-coach who led the Nationalmannschaft to their third World Championship in 1990.
Beckenbauer's triumphs with German giants FC Bayern München (as both a player and manager) remain too numerous to list. His efforts to bring the 2006 World Cup to Germany - which were not without controversy and subsequent legal issues - nevertheless demonstrated his unbridled passion for promoting and growing German football.
The two-time Ballon d'Or winner (1972 and 1974) defined the "libero" position to the point that any and every footballer with talents as a sweeper has been compared to him. To take one of many examples, Spanish defensive midfield sporting legend Gerard Piqué was christened "Piquenbauer" as a homage to Beckenbauer's dominance of the position.
As the tributes and closely itemized lists of Beckenbauer's accomplishments continue to drift in over the coming days, German football lovers can only lament the loss of the man often referred to as the "shining light" that brought endless honors to the post-war Bundesrepublik. A literal giant who symbolized a country devoted and proud of its most popular sport has departed.