Football personalities mourn Beckenbauer’s death – 01/08/2024 – Sport

A series of personalities from the world of football mourned the death of German Franz Beckenbeuer this Monday (8).

One of the biggest football names in history, Kaiser died at the age of 78. World champion as a player (1974) and as a coach (1990), he was remembered as a “sporting legend” who made a great contribution to the development of his sport.

“A legend of German and world football, Franz Beckenbauer has achievements and triumphs that are etched in history and yet, for all his popularity, ‘Der Kaiser’ has always remained modest and humble,” wrote FIFA President Gianni Infantino (International Football Federation).

“World Cup champion as player and coach: Franz Beckenbauer was one of Germany’s greatest football players because of the excitement he created for German football for generations,” declared German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

West Germany’s captain in their victorious 1990 World Cup campaign, Lothar Matthäus said he was in “deep shock”, despite knowing that the former player was not in good health.

“Franz was an exceptional personality not just in football. Everyone who knew him knows what a great and generous person Franz was,” said Matthäus.

“One of the greatest football players in the history of Bayern Munich has unfortunately left us. Rest in peace, Emperor Franz. We will never forget what you did for football in Germany”, published striker Thomas Müller.

“His death comes just a few days after that of Mario Zagallo. It was an immense honor for me to join them in 2018 among those who won the World Cup as a player and then as a coach. My sadness today is as great as my joy for to have been invited to sit at the table with these two giants of international football”, declared Didier Deschamps, France coach.

Among the many publications made by clubs in honor of Beckenbauer, Bayern Munich, the club where the defender played for more than 10 years and with which he was three-time Champions League champion, said that it would never have become what it is today without he.

Manchester United published a photo of the German together with Bobby Charlton, former attacking midfielder for the club and the English national team. “Rivals on the field. Eternal respect off it.”

Among Brazilian clubs, Flamengo and Fluminense recalled episodes with the participation of the German ball player, such as the farewell to Carlos Alberto Torres and a friendly match at Maracanã.

With Reuters