John Giles said that Franz Beckenbauer was “just unbelievable.” Giles knew what he was talking about — he had played against the great German, the inventor of the modern sweeper role in football, the libero.
Asked why players didn’t get stuck into Beckenbauer, Giles said, “Like all great players, he gave you two choices — a bad one and a terrible one… He’d just jog past you with the ball.”
Beckenbauer was born in Munich, a city in ruins after World War II, and started his playing career as a midfielder. Players who were later faced by the master footballer that he became, often spoke about “how brilliant he was.”
He played in three World Cups, winning one as a player, and another as manager, and was the lynchpin in countless games played for club and country. He was capped 103 times by Germany. Little wonder that he was named European Footballer of the year twice.
Beckenbauer was nicknamed Der Kaiser/The Kaiser because of his commanding presence and elegance on the field of play. But also because his first name (Franz) was reminiscent of the Austrian emperors —Kaiser is the German word for emperor.
In 1977, offered a hugely remunerative contract, he signed for New York Cosmos and spent four seasons with them. But it was in Dallas that I met him. Cosmos were in town to play an evening match against Dallas Tornado.
I had about 20 minutes with him for a chat and a cup of coffee. Naturally enough much of our talk was about the game to be played that night.
When I told him that I’d be doing the pre-match and half time entertainment, and explained that I would be keeping the ball up without dropping it, he seemed amazed. Especially when I told him that one of my tricks was taking off my tracksuit top, and putting it back on — without dropping the ball — he gaped, and then said, “This I have to see!”
He did see it, later, performed before a 60,000 crowd who applauded enthusiastically.
The Kaiser shook hands and said, “I wouldn’t do that for any money. Performing with my team is one thing, no problem. But to go out there and do a solo performance — No Way!”
It was he who suggested that I send the photograph to him, which I did. He signed and dated it for me. A nice ending to my meeting with a legend.
