After the end of his active career, Franz Beckenbauer opened a new chapter: in 1984, he was unexpectedly appointed team manager of the German national team.
ENTDECKE DIE HIGHLIGHTS
After his playing career, Franz took on a new role: team manager of the German national team. With his authority, his instinct for people, and his tactical understanding, he led Germany back to the top of world football.
After the end of his active career, Franz opened a new chapter: in 1984, he was unexpectedly appointed team manager of the German national team. Without formal coaching training, but with undeniable authority and charisma, he quickly won the trust of his players.
Just two years later, he led Germany to the World Cup final in Mexico in 1986, where they were beaten only by the outstanding Argentina led by Diego Maradona. He also left his mark on the 1988 European Championship on home soil: although the team did not win a title, the tournament was an important step in the development of his squad.
Franz knew how to shape a team that not only fought but also impressed with its style of play. The greatest triumph came in 1990 in Italy: with discipline, unity, and tactical maturity, he led Germany to their third World Cup title. The 1–0 victory in the final against Argentina made Franz only the second man in football history to win the World Cup both as a player and as a coach. With this, he crowned his career and secured his place in football history.
But his time as team manager of the national team would not be his only spell on the sidelines. In 1994, after the dismissal of coach Erich Ribbeck, FC Bayern found itself without clear sporting leadership. Some voices — among them the Bavarian minister-president and Bayern member Edmund Stoiber — had already suggested that Franz could step onto the coaching bench. At first, he had no real ambitions, declaring cautiously: “If there were an emergency, then I would take over FC Bayern and perhaps let myself be persuaded.” Just a few weeks later, on December 28, Franz officially took on his new role as coach of FC Bayern Munich.
And success followed immediately: Bayern won the German championship in 1994 with a one-point lead over Kaiserslautern. Once again, he had proven his talent. After a season full of unrest and doubt, the triumph was an even greater sensation.
A year later, history repeated itself: after the departures of coaches Giovanni Trapattoni and Otto Rehhagel, Franz once again took interim responsibility on the bench and led FC Bayern to victory in the 1996 UEFA Cup.
