BERLIN – Germany united to mourn the death of Franz Beckenbauer on Jan 8, with figures from the sporting and political landscape bidding farewell to the “Kaiser”.

Beckenbauer, a World Cup winner as both a player and a coach, died on Jan 7 at the age of 78, with news of his death not announced until a day later in the evening.

He had largely withdrawn from public life as he battled a number of ailments. His family said the former midfielder died “peacefully” surrounded by his family in Salzburg, Austria.

Known as “Der Kaiser”, emperor in German, Beckenbauer was revered as an icon of the game in post-World War II Germany.

“We’ll miss him, Franz Beckenbauer was one of the greatest footballers in Germany,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, adding that he “inspired enthusiasm for German football for generations”.

Ballon d’Or-winning midfielder Lothar Matthaus echoed the Chancellor’s words, telling Bild “we will miss him”. Matthaus was West Germany’s captain when Beckenbauer coached the victorious 1990 World Cup team.

“His death is a loss for football and for all of Germany. He was one of the greats as a player and a coach, but also off the pitch,” he added. “Everyone who knew him knew what a great and generous person Franz was. A good friend has left us.”

Fellow 1990 World Cup winner and current German football association sporting director Rudi Voller expressed his “immense sadness”, saying “he will forever remain a luminous figure”.

Beckenbauer’s career is closely linked with Bayern Munich, where he started as a youth player in 1959, playing there until 1977.

“Bayern’s world is no longer what it used to be,” the club wrote, saying “it is suddenly darker, calmer and poorer”.

As one of Bayern’s greatest players, Beckenbauer had an enduring relationship with honorary president Uli Hoeness – whom he played alongside in the victorious 1974 German World Cup side.

“Franz Beckenbauer is the greatest personality that Bayern ever had,” Hoeness said.

“As a player, coach, president, person – unforgettable. Nobody will ever reach his level... He was a friend, a unique companion and a gift to us all.”

Beckenbauer was for decades synonymous with Germany’s success on the pitch.

He amassed every major honour in his glittering playing career and continued his extraordinary record of success after switching to the manager’s bench.

He won 103 caps and captained West Germany to their 1974 World Cup win, two years after lifting the European title.

At club level he steered Bayern to three successive European Cup victories from 1974 to 1976 and won the Intercontinental Cup, the European Cup Winners’ Cup and eight domestic trophies.

He was also West Germany's Footballer of the Year a record four times and twice European Footballer of the Year.

Regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he invented and defined the modern libero role.

Always calm under pressure and a skilful marshal of his defence, Beckenbauer could read the game so astutely he knew exactly the right moment to surge upfield.

He enjoyed success as a coach while leading West Germany to the 1990 World Cup title in Italy, one of only three men – besides Mario Zagallo who died last week and Didier Deschamps – to have won world titles as both player and coach.

But, despite heading the 2006 World Cup on home soil as organising chief, his reputation was tarnished following an investigation into a potential slush fund for that tournament and a €6.7 million (S$9.8 million) payment to Fifa in 2005.

Beckenbauer, who had been battling several health issues in recent years, denied any wrongdoing and largely withdrew from the public eye.

Born in Munich on Sept 11, 1945, the German was capped for the first time shortly after his 20th birthday in a World Cup qualifier against Sweden and became a fixture in the national team for more than a decade.

He produced notable performances in three World Cups before moving across the Atlantic to New York Cosmos in a multi-million-dollar deal in 1977.

He stayed in the United States for three lucrative years before returning to West Germany in an unexpected move which took him to Bayern’s rivals Hamburg SV.

Beckenbauer then retired to a comfortable life at his home in the Austrian ski resort of Kitzbuehel, spending much of his time on the local golf course.

But he kept in the public eye with a regular column in the Bild newspaper and eventually took over as Germany coach in 1984 despite his lack of managerial experience.

Less than two years after taking over, he guided West Germany to the 1986 World Cup final in Mexico where they lost 3-2 to Diego Maradona’s Argentina.

However, they won the title four years later in rematch against the Argentinians to give Beckenbauer a rare World Cup double as player and coach and enhance his legacy. AFP, REUTERS