International media write about the death of football legend Franz Beckenbauer.
Great Britain
“The Telegraph”: “Franz Beckenbauer: A groundbreaking central defender and football’s best thinker. With the death of the great West German captain, football loses the last representative of a generation of players who became global TV superstars”
“The Guardian”: “Franz Beckenbauer was the consummate footballer and a winning coach (…) He had one of the best and most distinctive nicknames of all time, and like his contemporary, Eddy “The Cannibal” Merckx in cycling, his nickname was fitting “The Emperor” suited him perfectly and served to introduce him in advance.”
“The Sun”: “THE EMPEROR Franz Beckenbauer was a German football machine whose eyesore off the pitch could not overshadow his greatness on it.”
“Daily Mail”: “Most who knew him well will remember his excellence on the field, his outstanding footballing intelligence, the elegance with which he moved, the joys of his company and the invaluable knowledge that he possessed we learned from conversations with him.”
Spain
“Marca”: “There has never been another like him, neither before nor since. The figure of the eternal emperor is incomparable.”
“Mundo Deportivo”: “”The Emperor”, a cross-border idol of several generations and a footballer who everyone wanted to emulate.”
France
“Le Parisien”: “Franz Beckenbauer will forever belong in the category of immortal sports personalities.”
Italy
“La Repubblica”: “Farewell to Franz Beckenbauer, one of the few players from the past who would not be out of place in today’s football.”
“La Gazzetta dello Sport”: “He was probably the best libero in the history of football, having started his career as a midfielder.”
Austria
“Kronen Zeitung”: “The German football legend, who became world champion as a player and coach, got his nickname in Vienna! It happened in 1971: As part of a friendly match between Bayern and Austria, Beckenbauer was next to the bust of Emperor Franz Joseph I was photographed.”
“Kurier”: “Franz Beckenbauer is dead: Football has lost its emperor”
Switzerland
“Blick”: “A shock for friends, acquaintances and fans.”
“Tages-Anzeiger”: “He brought success and elegance to the Germans. In every heroic story in the leading role: Franz Beckenbauer managed everything with ease. In his lightness, he was the German that doesn’t actually exist.”
