Franz Beckenbauer

Franz Beckenbauer (born September 11, 1945 in Munich, Germany) is a famous German football player, coach and manager, nicknamed der Kaiser ("the emperor") because of his elegant style, his leadership qualities, his first name "Franz" (reminiscent of the Austrian emperors), and his domination on the football pitch. He wore the number 5 most frequently, as well as the number 6 for the Cosmos. Beckenbauer was one of the world's most famous defenders. Beckenbauer is often credited as having invented the role of the modern sweeper or libero. He is the only player to have won the FIFA World Cup and the European Championships both as a captain and a coach (Brazil's former striker Zagallo has also coached his country to the cup, but he never captained his side). More recently, he was chairman of Germany's successful bid to organize the 2006 World Cup.