German football has always embodied coherence, discipline and the highest efficiency, it is not for nothing that the German national team is sometimes called the “machine”. And all because each of its players is a separate “gear”, which, due to interaction with other similar “details”, ultimately provides a positive result for the team. Throughout the history of the development of football on German soil, there have been many excellent ball masters, but in this series, a football player named Franz Beckenbauer stands apart. We will consider his life story in more detail.

Brief information

The most famous athlete was born on September 11, 1945. Franz Beckenbauer was a defender in his playing role. Many experts consider him the creator of such a playing position as the libero - the last of the defenders in the defense line, which is free. But it cannot be said that he was exclusively a defensive player. The German was also an excellent specialist in combination football, as he quite often connected to the attacks of his squad.

Carier start

Franz Beckenbauer started playing football during his school years. His first team was 1906 Munich. But he did not stay there for a long time and moved to the youth section of the famous Bayern team. At the same time, the athlete became a member of the youth national team. It is noteworthy that at the beginning of his playing career, our hero was a forward.

A year after his debut in the strongest club in Germany, he got into the main team. It is worth noting that he was called to the main team just when it was on the verge of missing out. The Germans were facing a battle with the Swedish national team, and only a victory was required from the former. In the end, she went to the 1966 tournament, and Franz Beckenbauer was firmly entrenched in the number of the elect for 10 years to come.

Personal qualities

It is impossible not to say about the features of the famous magician of the world of football. Franz Beckenbauer, whose photo is given in the article, has always been distinguished by the fantastic speed of game thinking. In him, as in a player, grace and aristocracy were organically mixed with physical strength and the ability to adapt to the situation. Many noted the German's ability to see the field in all 360 degrees. Thanks to this, he surprisingly managed to calculate game moves and create scoring chances not only for himself, but also for teammates. It is also important that Franz was a real leader, not only directly on the field, but also beyond. Quite often, situations arose when he could raise his voice to one of the partners, if, in his opinion, they did not play, but simply walked during the match, serving, as they say, a number.

Game experience

As a footballer, Franz Beckenbauer played for several clubs. In 1965, he donned the Bayern kit for the first time, for which he eventually made 427 appearances. During the same period, he scored 60 goals. As a player of this club, the athlete won the German championship five times, won the German Cup four times, was a three-time European Champions Cup champion, won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the Intercontinental Cup once each.

In 1977, Franz did not just change the club, he moved to the other side of the world and became a player in the New York Cosmos team. In the US, he wins the local league three times. And in 1980 he again finds himself on his native land, but already in a new club for himself - Hamburg. With this football armada in 1982, he takes the gold of the German championship.

Relations with the German national team at Beckenbauer also developed well. In total, he played 103 games for the main team, and in fifty of them he was the captain. Managed to score 14 goals. In 1974, the German football genius became the world champion, in 1972 - the European champion. And after this tournament, he was recognized as the best player on the continent.

coaching activities

Franz Beckenbauer, whose biography is full of many bright events, tried his hand at coaching at the European Championships in 1986. Formally, he did not have the right to coach then, because he did not have the appropriate license, so his position was called "team technical manager." However, in reality, it was he who led the team to the final of the tournament, while beating a fairly strong French team in the semifinals. But the real finest hour of the German can be considered his triumph at the 1990 World Championship, when Germany beat Argentina in the final with its outstanding captain of those times - Diego Maradona.

Franz was also a member of the committee responsible for organizing and holding the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In February 2002, he became Chairman of the Management Board of the joint-stock company FC Bayern.

Only the facts

Beckenbauer is the father of five children. He has three marriages behind him. The living football legend is actively filmed in commercials for beer, mobile operators, sporting goods. Franz is included in the top ten most outstanding players in the world for the period of the 20th century at number three, ahead of him only Pelé and Cruyff.

- (Beckenbauer) (b. 1945), German athlete and coach. Recognized as the best football player in Europe (1972, 1976). World champion (1974) and Europe (1972), winner of the European Cup (1974, 1975, 1976). Coach of the German national team (1987 1990), ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Beckenbauer, Franz- BEKKENBAUER (Beckenbauer) Franz (born in 1945), German football player and coach. As part of the team Bayern (Munich) 3-time winner of the European Cup (1974, 1975, 1976). European Champion (1972) and World Champion (1974). In the mid 1970s… … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

- ... Wikipedia

Beckenbauer, Franz Franz Beckenbauer ... Wikipedia

- (b. 1945) German athlete and coach. Recognized as the best football player in Europe (1972, 1976). World champion (1974) and Europe (1972), winner of the European Cup (1974, 1975, 1976). Coach of the German national team (1987 90), which won the World Cup ...

- (Beckenbauer) Franz (born 1945), German football player and coach. As part of the team Bayern (Munich) 3-time winner of the European Cup (1974, 1975, 1976). European Champion (1972) and World Champion (1974). In the mid 1970s. repeatedly... ... Modern Encyclopedia

Franz Beckenbauer General information Full name Franz Anton Beckenbauer ... Wikipedia

General information Full name Franz Anton Beckenbauer ... Wikipedia

- (b. 1945), German athlete and coach. Recognized as the best football player in Europe (1972, 1976). World Champion (1974) and European Champion (1972). Winner of the European Cup (1974, 1975, 1976) and the Cup Winners' Cup (1967) as part of the Bayern team ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Beckenbauer F.- BÉKKENBAUER (Beckenbauer) Franz (b. 1945), German. athlete and coach. Recognized as the best football player in Europe (1972, 1976). World Champion (1974) and European Champion (1972). European Cup Winner champions (1974, 1975, 1976) and the Cup Winners' Cup (1967) in ... ... Biographical Dictionary

Books

• Franz Beckenbauer, A. B. Trukhan. A documentary story about the famous German footballer, with many facts, figures and details. All life from childhood to the present time. Study, work, family, etc. Sports, teams, in ...
• Yashin, Platini, Beckenbauer, Müller, O. V. Vinokurov. The idea of ​​identifying the best players and putting together all sorts of symbolic teams is not new. This is popular in all corners of the world on the occasion of various anniversaries and at the end of major ...

"Kaiser Franz", the first libero, the first world champion as a player and as a coach - all this is about him. About Franz Beckenbauer, a great football player and an outstanding coach.

Franz Anton Beckenbauer

• Country: Germany.
• Position - central defender.
• Born: September 11, 1945.
• Height: 181 cm.

Biography and career of a football player

Franz was born in Munich in not the best year for Germany. Amazingly, the blood and flesh of Bayern started in the camp of the worst enemy - the youth team "Munich 1860".

But, however, this "misunderstanding" was quickly corrected - at the age of 13, the future "Kaiser" was in the "right" team.

Bayern

1964-1977

Pointing out the role of Franz Beckenbauer - the defender, I'm a little cunning. Just as a rear centre-back, or libero, Franz spent most of his remarkable career.

However, in fact, it was one of the best all-rounders in the history of world football. He had a chance to perform both in the center, and on the edge of defense, and in attack. For example, Franz led his debut match for Bayern as a winger.

Yes, and on the most, now forgotten, the libero position, Beckenbauer made a real revolution. Before him, the players of this role justified their second name “cleaner”, correcting the flaws of their defensive partners. Franz went much further.

Taking advantage of the fact that he did not have a ward (in those days, the defenders played personally on the opponent's attackers, and the libero was relieved of the duties of guardianship), Beckenbauer did not stay behind when attacking his team, but boldly went forward, creating a numerical advantage.

In those years, no one played like that and the opponents simply did not know what to do with an extra player from someone else's attack.

Excellent technique, amazing vision of the field made him not only the chief of defense, but the whole team. At the same time, his universalism actually knew no bounds - in his second season for Bayern, only in the matches of the German championship, the 20-year-old defender hit the opponents' goal 16 times!

Not surprisingly, in those years, Bayern were unbeatable not only in West Germany, but also in Europe - the club won three European Cups in a row, and Franz Beckenbauer led the Munich team in all four matches as captain.

Four final matches in three draws is not a stipulation, just an additional match was required in the 1974 ECCH final. The first meeting between Bayern and Atlético Madrid ended in a draw 1:1, in the second the Germans, as they say, “carried out” the opponent - 4:0.

By and large, Beckenbauer's entire career was spent in the Munich club, here he won almost all of his club trophies and, being a Bayern player, was twice recognized as the best football player in Europe.

"New York Cosmos"

1977-1980, 1983

In 1977, the 32-year-old defender moved to the United States to the New York Cosmos club. Everyone knows that football in the United States then became popular, including by inviting outstanding players, and Pele himself played in Cosmos along with Beckenbauer.

But few people know that these two great football players played together for the club for only one season, after which Pele left the team. So, it was in this season that Cosmos became the champion for the first time, which they could not do before the arrival of Beckenbauer, and then, after the departure of the Brazilian, Cosmos became the US champion two more times in three seasons.

So judge who was more important for the team - the King or the Kaiser.

In 1983, Beckenbauer returned to New York for another season, where he ended his professional career. In total, Beckenbauer made 132 appearances for the North American club and scored 23 goals.

"Hamburg"

1980-1982

After four seasons spent in the USA, Beckenbauer returned to Germany, but not to Bayern, but to Hamburg.

"Everything Beckenbauer touches turns to gold."

I didn't say it, but it's true. In his second season at the club, Kaiser Franz helps Hamburg, which is going through its golden period, to regain the league title that was lost.

Beckenbauer was already 37 years old, he was not so fast, but his smart game did not go anywhere, and the realization that Kaiser himself was on the field instilled confidence in his partners and demoralized his rivals.

Team Germany

1965-1977

Beckenbauer's debut in the national team took place on September 26, 1965, when the West German team met with the Swedish national team in the decisive match of the qualifying tournament and won 2: 1.

And in the final part of the tournament, Beckenbauer also showed his goalscoring abilities: he scored two goals in the opening match against Switzerland (5:0), one each in the quarterfinals against Uruguay (2:0) and in the semifinals of the USSR national team (2:1). The Germans lost the final of that World Cup to the British in that very memorable match.

However, already at the next tournament they managed to take revenge on the England team at the quarter-final stage. The English team then led 2-0, but in the 68th minute Franz returned the Germans to the game, which they eventually brought to victory. It was these two matches that marked the beginning of the famous, which, with bated breath, the whole world is watching.

And on the third attempt, the German national team, whose captain by that time was Beckenbauer, in 1974 at the home world championship, managed to win the World Cup. Even if Beckenbauer did not score then, yes, in the end, this is not his direct responsibility, his role as the leader of the national team cannot be overestimated.

Yes, and at the European Championships, things with the national team at Beckenbauer were simply brilliant - Franz took part in two Euros, both times as team captain. In 1972, the German national team won the championship, and four years later took second place, losing in the final to the Czechoslovak national team only in a penalty shootout.

In total, Beckenbauer played 103 matches for the national team, scoring 14 goals.

Franz Beckenbauer - coach

In 1984, after a failure for the Germans, the team was offered to head Franz Beckenbauer, who then had no coaching experience at all. Moreover, "Kaiser Franz" did not have a coaching license and therefore was called "technical director". At the same time, he basically refused to go to the courses.

“Why should I listen to some lectures that will be given to me by people who understand football much less than me.”

These words, once said by Beckenbauer, might seem like bragging if life itself had not confirmed their correctness.

Already at the first tournament for themselves under the leadership of Beckenbauer, the German national team reached the final, where they lost to the Argentine national team 2:3 in a dramatic duel. Then there was a defeat in the semi-final at home.

However, two years later, systematic work bore fruit - the German national team for the first time after a 26-year break became the world champion, and the only person who connected these two teams was Kaiser Franz - in 1974 he was the captain of the national team, and in 1990 - her trainer.

After the national team, Beckenbauer briefly headed the Marseille Olympique, with whom he became the champion of France, then twice for a short time ascended the coaching bridge of Bayern. In December 1993 - June 1994, Bayern under his leadership held 14 matches, in April - June 1996 - 5.

But this did not stop Franz from adding Bundesliga gold and the UEFA Cup to his track record.

Titles of Franz Beckenbauer

Command

Franz can hardly be called an exemplary family man - he was married three times, and this is not counting numerous novels, and the age difference between his first-born Thomas and the youngest daughter Francesco Antonio is 38 years.

• Beckenbauer is the first among Germans to have played 100 caps for the national team.
• Beckenbauer had close friendly relations with, although it was to him that Franz scored a goal in the semi-finals of the 1966 World Cup.
• According to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, Franz Beckenbauer ranks third among field players of the 20th century. Ahead only Pele and.
• Beckenbauer is the absolute leader in world football in terms of "productivity" - in all teams, both club and national teams, both as a player and as a coach, he invariably became a champion.
• Until 1996, Beckenbauer remained the only defender to receive the Ballon d'Or, until his compatriot Matthias Sammer repeated this achievement.
• In 1982, Adidas launched the Franz Beckenbauer sneaker.

Franz Beckenbauer today

After completing his coaching career, Beckenbauer continued to work at Bayern - he served as club president, chairman of the board of FC Bayern JSC, and is now honorary president of Bayern.

Franz Beckenbauer has always been accompanied by luck - the kind that only a truly brilliant player deserves.

His outstanding career did not end with his retirement from big football. He brilliantly proved himself as the coach of the German national team, which he first brought to second place at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, and then four years later led to victory in the world championship in Italy.

Perhaps, no other football player has reached such dizzying heights in his career, which, moreover, have received such a tangible embodiment in achievements and victories. Beckenbauer was the first German player to have more than one hundred caps for the national team. As part of Bayern, he won every conceivable trophy in European and world club football, while being awarded the title of the best player in Europe.

But victories and achievements are not the only criterion by which the true greatness of a player and his contribution to the development of world football is determined. The innovative approach to the role that Beckenbauer demonstrated in the late 60s. with the support of then-coach Chick Tchaikovsky, changed the face of modern football in many ways.

Beckenbauer took his first steps towards a brilliant football career while still a schoolboy, in the club's children's team. Soon he moved to the youth section of the Munich and joined the youth team of Germany. And literally a year after his debut in the first team (then Beckenbauer played as a left winger), he was invited to the national team.

Moreover, they were invited at such a moment that could pretty much rattle the nerves of a more experienced player, not to mention a beginner: the German national team was going to Sweden, where she was to play the decisive match of the qualifying tournament for the 1966 World Cup. The Germans had little chance, and yet they defeated the Swedes - 2:1. Germany secured a ticket to the World Cup, and Beckenbauer secured his place in the national team for almost a decade.

At one time he was called the best footballer of the year in Germany and Europe. On the field, Beckenbauer was the epitome of grace and elegance. He combined the physical strength of an athlete and an amazingly sharp mind. His head worked like a computer: he instantly calculated all the combinations, found opponents in the defense even before they opened up, and saw such potential scoring chances (for himself and for his teammates) that the opponents were completely unprepared for.

Almost all of Beckenbauer's football career was spent at Bayern Munich, where he played as a shooting guard. Some argued that he was wasting his talent. However, Beckenbauer believed that in today's increasingly tight game, the shooting guard position gave him time and room to act, and this allowed him to play to his full potential and influence the course of the match. He was like a puppeteer in a puppet theater, whom the audience does not see, but who pulls the strings and controls the performance. And I must say that the German national team and the Munich team owe all their major victories to the modest Beckenbauer.

Best of the day

Beckenbauer never missed an opportunity to attack if one presented itself. It was he who scored the goal that inspired the despondent Germans in the match against England in the quarter-finals of the 1970 World Cup, after which the West German team not only equalized the score, but also pulled out a victory in overtime, which forced the reigning world champions - the British, to resign.

Shortly after the end of his career, Beckenbauer was offered to try himself in the coaching field and take the post of head coach of the national team, replacing Jupp Derval, who resigned after the unsuccessful performance of Germany at the 1984 European Championship. Beckenbauer did not have a coaching license and formally did not have the right to be called the head coach of the national team, he was called the technical manager of the team, but in fact it was he who decided the issues related to the selection of players and the choice of tactics. Thanks to the coaching talent of "Kaiser Franz", the German national team, with a rather inexpressive game, reached the final of the 1986 World Cup, "burying" the French team led by Michel Platini, who dreamed of the world crown, in the semifinals. And the finest hour of Beckenbauer as a coach was the 1990 World Cup in Italy, where his team became the champion. After winning the highest football title, Beckenbauer lost the coaching post to his former teammate Berti Vogts. Franz Beckenbauer is currently president of Bayern Munich and is part of the organizing committee for the 2006 World Cup to be held in Germany.

Correspondent "SE" in Germany congratulates the German legend on the anniversary.

Pictures of Franz Beckenbauer are on the front pages of all German newspapers today. September 11, he is 70! However, the first page for him is a common thing not only on anniversaries. Where else, after all, is the Kaiser located? Three photos of Beckenbauer come to mind most often. The first was taken on July 7, 1974 in Munich - young, happy, handsome Franz holds high over his head the World Cup, obtained by the Germans in a hot fight with the brilliant Dutch gang of Cruyff.

Another photo was taken on July 8, 1990 in Rome - Beckenbauer, with his hands in his pants pockets, wanders thoughtfully, with a detached look, on the lawn of the Olympic Stadium. Just under his leadership, the German team, having defeated the Argentines with the great Maradona in the final, took the world gold. Franz, who became the second in history to win the world championship as a player and coach (besides him, only the Brazilian Mario Zagallo managed to do this), must comprehend everything, digest, feel the moment.

Finally, the picture in Bild is more like a collage. After Germany won the right to the 2006 World Cup on July 6, 2000, the newspaper “erected” a huge pedestal for the entire page, on which, on behalf of the grateful German people, it erected a bust of Kaiser Franz. It was Beckenbauer who was the leader of the team that fought for that championship. To get it, he circled the entire globe. And then how the chief of the organizing committee made it so that the tournament became one of the best in history, or, as it is called in Germany, "a summer fairy tale."

It is clear that facts, stories, quotes, anecdotes, memories of Beckenbauer would be enough for multi-volume encyclopedias and endless television series. Let's remember just a few.

WORDS ABOUT ANNIVERSARY

"Beckenbauer is a happy mixture of self-confidence, sensitivity and modesty" (Gerhard Schroeder, Chancellor from 1998 to 2005).

"If he proclaims that the ball is not round, but with corners, then everyone will believe him" (Coach Otto Rehhagel).

"For the image of the Germans abroad, he did more than diplomacy in 50 years or ten Goethe institutions combined. He is probably so powerful that he could even overthrow the government" (Andre Heller, Austrian artist, cultural adviser to the Organizing Committee of the 2006 World Cup) .

"Beckenbauer is the only one who could get a direct mandate in Bavaria for the PDS (Party of Democratic Socialism. - Approx. "SE")" (Artist Ottfried Fischer).

“He looks 60, but he did so much that others won’t be able to even at 150. A brilliant football player. For what he later did for football, for sports, for Germany - a huge gratitude” (Philipp Lahm, captain of Bayern ).

"Do we really need a chancellor if we have Franz?" (popular TV presenter Harald Schmidt).

July 2000 FIFA President Joseph Blatter hands over the World Cup, along with the 2006 championship, into the hands of Germany. In the hands of Franz Beckenbauer. Photo REUTERS

ANNIVERSARY'S WORDS

"Football is a unique spectacle. Just coming to the stadium, you can see how twenty-two millionaires kick each other, kick and wallow in the dust."

"This is due to the skill of doctors. In my time, most likely, an amputation would have been necessary." (About the quick recovery of Jeremis and Elber ahead of the Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid).

"This is not the hand of God, but a slap in the face of a Munich-1860 player." (Explanations that at the age of 13 he moved to Bayern, and not to Munich-1860 - in the game of children's teams he was hit by one of the players of the "sixties" ").

"Come out and play football." (One of the tactical instructions to the players of coach Beckenbauer before an important match).

"I'm still wondering what sport my team played this evening. Football, definitely not." (After a major defeat of his Bayern).

"We never invented magic and beautiful football. To be successful, a German must work."

"The Swedes are not the Dutch, it was definitely evident today." (After the match between Germany and Sweden).

"I feel some pride, because I also did something for this. As a player, as a coach, as a president, and I don't know who else." (On the progress of Bayern).

May 2001 Franz Beckenbauer at Bayern's Champions League parade. Photo REUTERS

FACTS ABOUT THE ANNIVERSARY (including from Bild)

In the summer of 2003, in the grandiose poll of the ZDF television channel, which determined the greatest Germans in history, Beckenbauer was ahead of the philosophers Kant, Nietzsche and Schopenhauer, the poets Schiller and Heine, the composer Wagner, the writer Thomas Mann, the actress Marlene Dietrich.

Beckenbauer's first professional contract at Bayern was for 3 years. He signed it in 1964 and received 400 marks a month.

Beckenbauer's first private sponsor was the meat manufacturer Rudolf Houdek, who financed the purchase of Franz's first car, a used Mercedes for 5,000 marks.

When Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller grew their beards in 1970, Bundesrener Helmut Schoen grumbled: "I must admit, I don't like it at all."

Beckenbauer flew to Moscow to see Lev Yashin and helped him pay for a new prosthetic leg. In general, Franz often came to the Soviet Union, and then to the countries of the former USSR. Valentina Yashina, the widow of the legendary goalkeeper, told the author of these lines how Franz, who was friends with Lev Ivanovich, stopped by their Moscow apartment, over a mug of beer, conducted traditional Russian conversations about life and football in the kitchen. And I was sincerely surprised that the great goalkeeper lives in such a modest environment ...

As a Marseille coach, Beckenbauer kicked the French Minister of Labor out of the locker room - he mistook him for a journalist.

Beginning in 1996, manager Robert Schwan received 20 percent of all Beckenbauer's earnings.

After the victorious final of the 1990 World Cup, Franz invited the players of the national team to switch to "you" with him.

As a war invalid, his first coach Franz Neudecker had only one leg, but he still played football - with two crutches.

Franz's uncle, Alfons Beckenbauer, played for Bayern from 1931 to 1934.

Franz loves to sleep. In this regard, his words to Gerd Müller became famous: "Without us, they will not fly away." He obviously meant the rest of the team and the club.

The famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti fell on his knees in New York in front of him and sighed: "Maestro ..."

During the first trip with the youth team, Franz had to sleep in the same bed with coach Dettmar Kramer. This was done in order to prevent the amorous adventures of the young Beckenbauer.

When he was in his 9th year, he met a special train with the 1954 world champions at the Munich station.

Franz has four brothers and two sisters.

When Franz was in the womb, the parents thought that they would have a girl. They wanted to give her the name Francis.

In a poll by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), which determined the best football player of the 20th century, Beckenbauer took third place - after Pelé and Cruyff.

For the title role in the film "Libero" (first shown in December 1973), Franz received a fee of 15 thousand marks.

In all of his 103 caps, Beckenbauer was in the starting lineup.

Together with Pele, Franz won the North American championship three times.

Once in New York, the star ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev tried to pester Franz. He replied: "Go, Rudolf - I'm from another faculty."

Before making his international debut in 1965 (in Stockholm against Sweden), Beckenbauer played only 6 matches for Bayern in the Bundesliga.

Franz is married for the third time. His wife is Heidi Burmester. He is the father of 5 children. Alas, on July 31 this year, his 46-year-old son Stefan died of brain cancer.

KAISER

This has been called Franz since 1968. When Bayern arrived in Vienna for a friendly match with Austria, he was photographed at the bust of the Austrian Kaiser Franz Josef I. The picture got into the newspaper, and Sepp Graf Beckenbauer was called football's Kaiser in an article. Since then it has gone. Beckenbauer himself talks about this.

But Welt am Sonntag has a different version. The newspaper believes that on June 10, 1969, after Bayern won the Bundesliga for the first time, Franz Bild was named "kaiser of the nation" - by analogy with the "scorer of the nation" Gerd Müller. This title was further secured by Beckenbauer on June 14, 1969, when his team fought Schalke in the Cup final. After he fouled the "King of Westphalia" striker Reinhard Libuda, Schalke fans booed him incessantly. Franz got excited and juggled the ball for 40 seconds at the stands with the opponent's fans to spite them. Then, in the press, in order to find something stronger than the "King of Westphalia", they came up with the Kaiser.

JOKES ABOUT ANNIVERSARY

This anecdote was born in 1975, when Bayern arrived in Kyiv for the European Super Cup match. People for the coveted ticket stood at the box office at night, made long lists of names. A fan asks a friend in turn:

What is Beckenbauer's number?

5th, he answers.

What about Blokhin?

Right. And you have the 4392nd, - looking into the list, the fan announces, and the whole line shudders with laughter.

At a philosophical seminar:

I'll tell you about the idealistic-pessimistic views of Beckenbauer, - the student begins.

Do you mean Schopenhauer? - asks the professor.

What, is he playing today too?

The teacher asks the student: "Please name three famous people whose name begins with the letter B." Student: "Beckenbauer, Breitner, Bonhof." Teacher: "Have you never heard anything about Bach, Brahms or Beethoven?" Student: "Nah, the regional league doesn't interest me."

40 YEARS LATER

In 1975, listening to these jokes, I laughed like everyone else, but at the same time I felt incredible pride. I, a 23-year-old journalist of the Ukrainian "Sports newspaper", had accreditation (then - just a pass) for the final of the European Super Cup! I well remember the pre-match training of the Munich team, where the world-famous guests did some light stretching exercises, and then rolled the ball a little. After it, on the Bavarians' way to the locker room, I managed to catch Beckenbauer and ask him a few banal questions on the go. The Kaiser politely and also tritely answered them: they say, Dynamo is gut, Blokhin and Lobanovsky are zero gut, and so on. But I was in seventh heaven - I talked almost with the first world star! Then, let me remind you, there were no higher authorities in football than Munich: half the team were world champions (1974) and European champions (1972), all players were European Champions Cup winners in 1974 and 1975 (by the way, this was then the main continental club trophy " Bayern took it in 1976). But in the fall of 1975, the German grandee could not oppose anything to the Dynamo team led by Oleg Blokhin, who scored 3 goals into the gates of the then best goalkeeper in the world Mayer (one in Munich, where the Kievans took over - 1: 0, two in the capital of Ukraine - Lobanovsky's team was at home won 2:0).

My father, sports photojournalist Iosif Shainsky, managed to photograph me then, in 1975, at the moment when I first interviewed Beckenbauer. Then, already as a staff correspondent of "SE" in Germany, I had to communicate with Kaiser more than once. And a few months ago in Munich, I showed him that picture from 1975. Immediately the idea was born to be photographed again - 40 years later. At the same time, we were holding that old picture taken in Kyiv before the match for the European Super Cup. In my opinion, compared to how they looked in 1975, they have not changed much. Although, maybe I'm wrong ... After we were "clicked", I offered to take a picture in another 40 years. Beckenbauer didn't mind.

2015 Franz BEKKENBAUER and SE staff correspondent in Germany Efim SHAINSKY with the same photo 40 years ago. Photo by Efim SHAINSKY, "SE"

German newspapers wrote about Yegor Titov's possible move to Bayern. Why did the Moscow Spartak player never end up in Munich?

Yes, we were really interested in Titov, but the amount of the transfer was too high for us. I think it was about 25 million dollars. The reason why the transition did not take place is only in money. Titov's level as a player did not cause any doubts in us - he is an excellent football player.

Many of us say that the Russian national team, Russian clubs often suffer because of unfair decisions of referees. Do you think refereeing in the international arena is objective?

I think yes. I believe that all European referees are well trained, and I can't imagine that any of them deliberately judge Russian teams. Perhaps your players and fans are too suspicious.

Imagine that you have been appointed coach of the German national team, and the next morning you will play against Russia. What tasks would you give your players, what tactics would you choose?

I better not imagine myself as the coach of the German national team ... Let's talk about something else.

- In Germany, there is an opinion that you could achieve a lot in the political arena ...

I'm not a politician - too impatient. And in sports I feel quite comfortable.

- What game of golf do you remember the most?

With Tiger Woods.

- And who won?

I think this is an extra question.

- What is your life motto?

Live for yourself and let live for others.

Everyone knows that you have outstanding diplomatic skills. Is it a natural gift or did you learn it somewhere?

At the secondary school of Munich-Giesing, he took a special diplomacy course. But jokes aside. I would not claim that I have special diplomatic skills. On the contrary, patience is certainly not my main quality. I try to be friendly to most people - especially those who are friendly to me. But I can be different.

- They say that nothing is impossible for you. And yet, is there anything that is unattainable?

Definitely, I will no longer be the pope. And the eight-thousanders of the Himalayas are too high for me.

- Tell me, have you ever thought about what football will be like in a hundred years?

I'll be watching this from heaven...