BERLIN — The emperor is dead, long live the emperor.
Bayern Munich is mourning the death of “der Kaiser” Franz Beckenbauer, at the age of 78, the soccer great who led it through its golden era and arguably did more than anyone to shape the club into what it is today.
“The biggest personality that FC Bayern ever had,” honorary president Uli Hoeneß said. “Nobody will ever reach him. People can say they saw football in the times of Franz Beckenbauer.”
“Our emperor is dead,” Germany’s best-selling tabloid Bild said on its front page on Tuesday.
As an elegant player, successful coach and distinguished president over six decades, Beckenbauer helped turn Bayern from a modest club in the shadow of 1860 Munich into a global powerhouse, by far Germany’s most successful.
And it all started with a slap.
Born in the working-class Munich district of Giesing, the highly-talented Beckenbauer was set to join 1860, the team he supported as a child, after playing in a youth tournament for boyhood club SC Munich 1906.
But Beckenbauer’s team was pitted against 1860’s youth side in the final. He got into a disagreement with one of his opponents, who allegedly struck him in the face when the referee wasn’t looking.
Irate, the young player decided to snub 1860 and join city rival Bayern’s youth setup instead. It was 1959.
He was promoted to the first team in 1964 and helped steer his club to Bundesliga promotion the following year. Aided by teammates Gerd Müller and Sepp Maier, Beckenbauer led Bayern into third place in its first season, then claimed the first of 32 German league titles in 1969.
Bayern previously won the German championship in 1932 but had to wait for Beckenbauer’s arrival before enjoying its golden era.
As captain, he claimed four Bundesliga titles with Bayern, three straight European Cups from 1974 to 1976, four German Cups and the 1976 Intercontinental Cup.
He led West Germany to the 1974 World Cup title, two years after winning Euro 1972. He…
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