Franz
Beckenbauer
The German captain, Franz Beckenbauer,
was the star of the West German team of 1966. At that
time he played as an old-fashioned right- half. He
then invented the position ‘sweeper’ . A sweeper
brings the ball out of defence and starts attacks.
Beckenbauer was a natural leader. He inspired other players
and dominated the pitch. He was not fast but had great
football intelligence. His nickname was the Kaiser - a
German word that means king or emperor.
In 1970 he was injured during the Semi-Final with Italy -
an injury that probably cost the West Germans a place in
the Final. In 1974 he was 29 and this was perhaps his
last chance to win a World Cup Winners Medal.