Football | Franz Beckenbauer died – the last years of the legend were tinged with pain and shame

German football greatness Franz Beckenbauer died on Sunday at his home in Salzburg, Austria. He was 78 years old when he died.

Beckenbauer won World Cup gold in his soccer career as a player (1974) and as a coach (1990). Only two other men have been able to do the same: Brazil Mario Zagallo and France Didier Deschamps.

After Beckenbauer's death, German newspaper Die Zeit wrote that he was “the most important, greatest and most famous German of the post-war period”. He even left the magazine in second place Helmut Kohl and Konrad Adenauer giants of politics like

Despite the fame and glory, Beckenbauer's last years were far from happy. In addition to serious health concerns, the ex-star also suffered from a family tragedy and accusations of his involvement in dirty and possibly illegal behind-the-scenes games.

Beckenbauer experienced a terrible loss in August 2015 when his son Stephen died at the age of 46. Stephan Beckenbauer suffered from brain cancer, which took away his ability to speak. Franz is said to have watched over his son by his sick bed when he fell asleep early in the morning.

In the fall of the same year, the respected German newspaper Der Spiegel reported that Germany had a 6.7 million bribe fund, which it used to bribe the decision-makers of the International Football Association Fifa during the application process for the 2006 World Cup.

Beckenbauer was the chairman of the search committee and, according to Der Spiegel, he was aware of the bribery fund. He remained silent at first, but later admitted that he had “made a mistake”. However, Beckenbauer swore that Germany had not bought votes from Fifa bosses.

However, it did not convince the Swiss authorities, who opened a criminal investigation into the activities of Beckenbauer and three other key German football bosses. In connection with the investigation, the Austrian police, among other things, searched Beckenbauer's home.

The criminal process went to trial, but there was never a verdict. Courts were suspended due to the corona pandemic in 2020 and the potential crime had already expired.

Franz Beckenbauer brought the 2006 World Cup to Germany, but ended up being the subject of a criminal investigation and court proceedings due to suspicious money transfers during the application process. Picture: Tobias Schwarz/Reuters

His son pressured by the death and criminal charges, Beckenbauer withdrew almost completely into his own circumstances. He began to suffer from bad health problems, which were speculated to be at least partly caused by grief and the shame caused by the criminal charge.

Beckenbauer's heart was operated on in the fall of 2016 and again in 2017. In the latter year, Beckenbauer was also said to suffer from severe memory problems and confusion.

Around the same time, Beckenbauer was also involved in another suspected case of corruption: the murky choices of the World Cup hosts 2018 (Russia) and 2022 (Qatar). There were only 22 men making the selections in 2010, of which Beckenbauer was one.

FIFA's ethics committee wanted to hear Beckenbauer in 2014, but he refused to testify. Beckenbauer was suspended for 90 days as punishment, but humbled himself to speak to the committee two weeks later and was cleared.

FIFA put Beckenbauer under disciplinary proceedings and in 2016 he received a warning and a fine of 7,000 Swiss francs (7,500 euros at the current exchange rate).

Beckenbauer explained his silence by saying that the ethics committee had approached him in English and the matter had been difficult to understand. He claimed to have asked to be heard in German, but the request had not been answered.

Sepp Blatter, the president of the international football association Fifa, awarded Franz Beckenbauer in 2013. Fifa's corruption investigations have since tarnished the reputation of both men. Picture: Olivier Morin/AFP

of the 2010s after the middle, Beckenbauer was rarely seen in public. In 2019, he participated in the golf tournament bearing his name and said that his right eye had gone blind.

In the same year, he said in a rare interview Bunte– magazine, that he was no longer able to watch entire football matches on TV, because his ability to concentrate had weakened badly.

Beckenbauer also said that he made his will because he “didn't want any discord in his family”. Beckenbauer had a total of five children from three marriages.

A year later, Beckenbauer told For Bild suffering from severe hip and Achilles tendon pain. He also revealed that due to his heart problem, he had to give up alcohol and was no longer allowed to strain himself. Beckenbauer kept fit by water running and still played golf occasionally.

“Sometimes I even hit the ball,” he said.

Munich residents lined up to write their names in Franz Beckenbauer's memorial book. Picture: Lukas Barth-Tuttas / AFP

Last a photo of Beckenbauer was seen in January last year, when he attended a traditional carp dinner in the Austrian alpine mecca of Kitzbühel.

In December of last year, Beckenbauer Walter-brother told In the ARD channel's documentary about the futs legend's worrying health condition.

“If I said he's fine, I'd be lying, and I don't like lying. He's not fine. It's a constant ups and downs,” Walter Beckenbauer said.

Other sources: BBC, France24, Daily Mail, DW, Guardian, Mirror.