BECKENBAUER, FRANZ

born Sept. 11, 1945, Munich, Ger. German association football (soccer) player who is credited with inventing the modern attacking sweeper and hence "total football." Beckenbauer joined the Bayern Munich team in 1958 and made his first-team debut in 1963. As captain from 1971 he helped the Bayern Munich team win three European Cup championships (1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76) and four national titles. In 1971 he was appointed captain of West Germany's national team, leading it to victory in the 1974 World Cup championships. He was named European Footballer of the Year in 1972 and 1976. Beckenbauer then played with the New York Cosmos (1977-82, 1983-84) and Hamburg (1982-83) before retiring from play in 1984. In 1984 Beckenbauer was appointed manager of the West German team, which became the World Cup runner-up in 1986 and the winner in 1990. In 1990 he became the first man both to manage and to serve as captain of a World Cup-winning team. Thereafter he managed briefly in Marseille and then became involved in administrative roles.