Franz Beckenbauer, who has died aged 78, was one of the greatest players and most influential figures in the history of German football.
Nicknamed 'Der Kaiser' for his impressive playing style as a midfielder or attacking sweeper, Beckenbauer led West Germany to World Cup success as both captain and manager.
He also enjoyed a hugely successful club career, especially with Bayern Munich.
He went on to become a football administrator and remained a national hero, even though later years were overshadowed by allegations of bribery and corruption involving Germany's hosts of the 2006 World Cup.
Franz Anton Beckenbauer was born on September 11, 1945 in war-torn Munich, the second son of postman Franz Beckenbauer senior and his wife Antonie. His brother Walter was born four years earlier.
An enthusiastic and talented footballer as a child, Beckenbauer joined SC 1906 Munich at the age of nine.
He was picked up by Bayern three years later and excelled in their youth sides, quickly progressing to the first team.
His debut for the then old-fashioned Bavarian club came in 1964. Within two years they had become Germany's most important team.
Part of an exciting generation of talent, including striker Gerd Müller and goalkeeper Sepp Maier, Beckenbauer helped Bayern win four Bundesliga titles and four German Cups between 1966 and 1974.
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Beckenbauer himself started as a winger but soon dropped back to central midfield or, most prominently, to the role of 'libero' sweeper, which he did more than anyone to make fashionable. His knowledge of the game was excellent and of course he soon became captain.
He came to international prominence during the 1966 World Cup after making his debut during the qualifying campaign.
He led West Germany to success at the European Championship in 1972 and World Cup victory on home soil two years later.
The eventual success in the latter proved to be a masterclass of determination and commitment, with Beckenbauer and his team hanging on before coming from behind to beat a stylish Dutch side who, with Johan Cruyff at their heart, had long outwitted them .
It may have been an unpopular triumph with neutral colors, but it was a fitting reward for Beckenbauer's genius.
The elegance with which he plied his trade was summed up by Brian Clough.
"I once saw Franz Beckenbauer go into a restaurant and he did it the same way he played football: with class and authority," said the former Derby and Nottingham Forest manager.
Further victories for Beckenbauer came in the European Cup, when Bayern were crowned the continent's best three years in a row from 1974 to 1976. West Germany also came second at the 1976 European Championship.
In 1977, having retired from international football with a then-record 104 caps, Beckenbauer took up an offer to play alongside Pele for the New York Cosmos in the fledgling North American Soccer League.
Pele himself had a high opinion of the stylish Beckenbauer.
The Brazilian said: "As a player he was characterized by intelligence rather than strength. As a footballer he was more Brazilian than German."
He also had a brief - title-winning - spell with Hamburg before retiring in 1983.
He entered management almost immediately and took over his national team despite a lack of experience.
He impressed by leading a then uncontested side to second place at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, where they were defeated by Argentina in the final.
He improved on that four years later in Italy, when West Germany avenged that loss to Argentina in the final, following their last-four penalty shootout victory over England.
He resigned after the tournament and some brief forays into club management followed.
His first, in Marseille, lasted a few months.
The French club initially appointed him sporting director early in the 1990-91 season, but manager Gerard Gili felt undermined and quit. Beckenbauer took full control, but although he kept them at the top of Ligue 1, some poor results saw him soon sent back up the table, where he remained as Marseille won the title and reached the European Cup final that season.
He later had a temporary spell in charge at Bayern in the second half of 1993-94, seeing success in the Bundesliga before becoming club chairman.
At the end of the 1995-96 season he had a brief spell in charge and won the UEFA Cup.
He was president of Bayern until 2009, after which he became honorary chairman.
He also served as vice president at the German Football Association.
That led to him leading Germany's successful bid to host the 2006 World Cup, a role that in turn led to him becoming chairman of the tournament's organizing committee.
These triumphs cemented his position in the eyes of the German public and he proved an enormously popular figure during the tournament, traveling to 46 of the 64 matches in a helicopter provided by sponsors. He even managed to marry his third wife, Heidi, during the tournament.
However, his involvement in the World Cup was tarnished when his actions became part of widespread investigations into corruption at FIFA ten years after the tournament.
There were allegations of bribery and money laundering during the bidding process. Beckenbauer denied any wrongdoing.
It was around this time that Beckenbauer also began to suffer from heart problems. He had surgery in 2016 and 2017.
Beckenbauer's first marriage to Brigitte, which ended in 1990 after 24 years, produced two children, Stephan and Michael. Stephan, who also became a professional football player, died in 2015 from a brain tumor.
Beckenbauer had another child, Thomas, during his second marriage to Sybille, which lasted 14 years. Beckenbauer had two children with Heidi, Francesca and Noel, before they married.
