Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer passes away aged 78

German football legend Franz Beckenbauer has died at the age of 78, his family have confirmed. The great passed away after a period of ill health on Sunday.

Beckenbauer is considered as one of the greatest footballers of all time, and the father of modern-day defending. A midfielder by trade, Der Kaiser, as he was popularly known, moved to central defence, where he revolutionised how the role was played by being a sweeper.

Franz Beckenbauer was the first player to win the European Cup/UEFA Champions League three times in a row, a feat he achieved between 1974 and 1976 with Bayern Munich. He is also one of only three men in history, alongside Mario Zagallo and Didier Deschamps, to win the FIFA World Cup as player and coach.

Beckenbauer won the FIFA World Cup as a player in 1974 and as a manager in 1990. He is, without a shred of doubt, one of the greatest ever in football history.