FRANZ BECKENBAUER
What teams did Franz Beckenbauer coach? What was his coaching record?
The German icon had significant success as a manager despite taking charge of three teams for only 110 matches.
The world of soccer is in mourning following the news on Monday that Franz Beckenbauer had died at the age of 78 following a period of ill health. The former Bayern Munich and (West) Germany icon will forever be remembered as one of the greatest players to play the game, winning the Ballon d’Or on two occasions (1972 and 1976), and as the inventor of the sweeper/libero role, which has since gone out of fashion.
However, he also had a distinguished coaching career, glittered with success even though he managed only 110 matches over a 12-year period.
Beckenbauer becomes national team manager in 1984
After finishing his playing career with the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 1983, Beckenbauer returned to his homeland and in September 1984, at the age of 39, was appointed manager of the West Germany national team, who had just flopped at the 1984 European Championship in France, the defending champions failing to get out of their group.
“Der Kaiser” would be in charge of his country for three major tournaments and finished on the podium on each occasion. At the 1986 World Cup, he took the West Germans to the final in Mexico City, where they were beaten 3-2 by Diego Maradona-inspired Argentina having fought back from 2-0 down in the second half.
Two years later came huge disappointment on home soil when West Germany lost in the semi-finals of the 1988 European Championship to bitter rivals the Netherlands, who went on to win the tournament. The hosts had looked set to face the Soviet Union in the final after going a goal up through Lothar Matthäus, but two goals in the final 15 minutes turned the tie on its head.
1990 FIFA World Cup success
Beckenbauer, however, bounced back in style. The former defender became the first man in history to win the FIFA World Cup as both player and manager when he led his country to victory at Italia ‘90, West Germany gaining revenge on the Netherlands in the round of 16 and Argentina in a drab final, settled by Andreas Brehme’s late penalty.
Silverware in two short spells as Bayern Munich coach
With nothing left to achieve at international level, Beckenbauer moved into club management but oversaw only 44 matches (compared to 66 with West Germany). In September 1990, he took over at French side Olympique de Marseille but stayed for less than four months, managing just 25 games. He did, however, contribute to them winning the Ligue 1 title in 1990-91, although the trophy was secured several months after his departure.
He then had two very short spells as head coach of Bayern but won silverware in both of them. Beckenbauer took the Bavarians to the Bundesliga title in 1993-94 after taking charge of 14 league games in the second half of the season, with the team already out of Europe and the domestic cup before his appointment.
He became club president immediately after that triumph but returned for an even shorter caretaker spell in the dugout in April and May 1996, wining the UEFA Cup as Bayern comfortably defeated French club Bordeaux in a two-legged final, two of three victories he recorded in five games.
One of three men to win the World Cup as player and coach
Having also taking on the role of vice-president of the German Football Association in 1998, heading Germany’s successful bid to host the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Beckenbauer stepped down as Bayern president in 2009.
The German is one of only three men to have won the World Cup as a player and a coach alongside current France manager Didier Deschamps and Brazil’s Mário Zagallo, who passed away two days before Beckenbauer on 5 January.