He fit in, becoming an infinitely better player as part of a Bayern Munich team that won several league titles.īayern Munich won successive league championships in 1972, 1973, and 1974 thanks to Franz Beckenbauer. Again, Beckenbauer was perfect for the position. Before creating this new role, the Kaiser was a natural winger comfortable on the soccer ball could advance forward and defend. In addition, he began exploring the role of “sweeper” around this time. Four years in the first-team squad, Franz Beckenbauer became Bayern Munich’s captain and was credited with the team’s success in the German Cup and the Cup Winners’Winners’ Cup.

Due to his ability to dribble, pass, tackle, and head, he excelled in this role, which wasn’t found in many other defenders.īeckenbauer was a youth player for Bayern Munich, then moved to the senior squad when he was 19 and made his debut in 1964 as a left-winger. In addition to being a great tackler and defender, he was adept with the ball at his feet. Beckenbauer took advantage of this to boss the defense. It was also the sweeper’s responsibility to advance up and down the field, moving as far forward as the defensive midfielder position and as far back as the position just in front of the goalkeeper. A sweeper would sweep up the ball after it had gone beyond the defense, thereby putting himself as the last line of defense and doing a heroic job of keeping attackers at bay. Using the skills he developed as a midfielder and later a defender, Beckenbauer revolutionized the role of the defender, similar to German soccer legend Fritz Walter.įranz Beckenbauer was a sweeper-defender, a role he didn’t create, but 5 foot 11 inch (181cm) soccer player improved upon and made his own.

The son of a postal depot manager, he joined SC Munchen 06’s youth team at nine years old before joining Bayern Munich in 1958 at the age of fourteen.įranz Beckenbauer, who grew up in post-war Germany, looked up to Fritz Walter, a forward who had led West Germany to victory at the 1954 World Cup. He had been playing for youth teams since the age of six and attracting the attention of scouts. On September 11, 1945, Franz Anton Beckenbauer was born in Munich, Germany. 9 Franz Beckenbauer Stats, Facts, And Figures Who Was Franz Beckenbauer?

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