Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)

Franz Beckenbauer was born on September 11, 1945 in Munich. He was the second son of Antonie Beckenbauer, and he started his playing career at the early of age of nine, with the youth team of SC Munich in 1954. He is the only man to have won the World Cup both as a player as well as a manager, making his roll of honor unique and distinguished from the other players of the game. He was captain of West Germany when they won the World Cup and the European Championship, and he also led his club, Bayern Munich, to three successive European Cups as well as to the European Cup winners' Cup.

Although with all the medals and trophies and championships, Beckenbauer is remembered for his style in playing the game, where his every movement bristled with elegance. He was called "Emperor Franz" and "The Kaiser" for his suggestive arrogance and command in all his play. He was a brilliant thinker, and he brought about a revolution by inventing the role of the attacking sweeper, changing the way the game was played.

He made his debut on the left wing with Bayern in the Regionalliga Süd (Regional League South) against FC St. Pauli on June 6, 1964. His first game for the national side came on September 26, 1965 and played his first World Cup in 1966, eventually becoming captain in the 1968-69 season to lead his club to their first league title.

Beckenbauer has played with C Munich 1906, Bayern Munich, the New York Cosmos, and SV Hamburg and has appeared in the World Cup thrice as a player and twice as a coach and manager. He has collected 5 German Championships, 4 German Cup Championships, 3 European Championships, 1 European Cup Winners Championship, and 1 World Cup Championship. Beckenbauer was named Footballer of the Year twice in 1972 and 1976, and had made 14 international goals before he retired as a player.

He moved into club management after his retirement, and has successfully posted several championships for his Olympique Marseille and Bayern Munich clubs, adding another World Cup title for Germany in the 1990 FIFA World Cup.

Beckenbauer is considered to be one of the best players of all time. He was voted the second best European player in the past 50 years in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll in 2004, just behind Zinedine Zidane of France.

More recently, Beckenbauer headed Germany's successful bid to organize the World Cup in 2006, and is now chairman of the organization committee for the World Cup as well as commentator for the Bild-Zeitung.

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