Greatest Franz Beckenbauer Quotes, a complete collection

No one can argue against the fact that Franz Beckenbauer is among the greatest football figures of all time. As a player, He was the star of the Bayern Munich side that dominated European football in the 70’s and was the key man in the Germany national side that won two World Cup finals, first as a player in 1974 and then as a coach in 1990. His footballing principles have significantly influenced the football career of many players and managers.

A revolutionary defender, Beckenbauer was famous for his amazing performances as a Libero. He played over 600 games and scored almost a 100 goals, which is amazing for a defender. As a manager he guided his beloved club, Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title in the 1993-94 season, as well as the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1967 and three consecutive European Cups from 1974 to 1976. However, his biggest achievement was winning the 1990 World Cup with Germany national team.

Beckenbauer led Germany's successful bid to host the 2006 FIFA World Cup and chaired the organizing committee. He also worked as a pundit for Sky Germany, and for 34 years as a columnist for the tabloid Bild, both until 2016. He is truly among the most influential figures in the history of the beautiful game. In the following article we present you with a complete collection of the

greatest Franz

Beckenbauer quotes

.

A collection of the greatest Franz Beckenbauer Quotes

A complete collection of the greatest Franz Beckenbauer quotes including his footballing philosophy as well as his comments on Messi and Ronaldo.

Greatest Franz Beckenbauer quotes about football

The legendary German player and manager is famous for his interesting and inspirational views on football and the ideal way it should be played. He won almost every possible award during his career and it is certainly interesting to know more on the

greatest Franz Beckenbauer quotes

about football.

It is not the strong one that wins, the one that wins is strong

Do you know who I most felt sorry for? The ball.

That was tired, lumbering football that at times degenerated into abuse of the ball. Maybe the tournament Germany were at was only the B-European Championship. The A-European Championship is now taking place without us. We’d have been intruding there anyway.”

The two designs are completely different. The first is totally futuristic, the second is more classical. You can of course get very excited about doing something completely out of the ordinary, just like the Olympic stadium in its time. But each to his or her own taste.

Rugby is a different game. There is an interruption every two minutes also in American football. Our soccer is a moving game: play, play, play, move, move - you don't interrupt.

It would make me a lot happier if I could meet up again next year with as many friends as possible from all over the world who I've met during my career. That's where the great opportunity lies, for me personally, in our role as World Cup host.

The trouble for today's footballers is they have too many distractions. We used to get our old players coming to watch training with football magazines in their hands. Now, more often than not, they are checking the share prices

We should not fool ourselves. We are not one of the world's top teams any more.

At least six Bayern players, who have won almost everything, are in the national squad

Certainly it is a different world for players nowadays. But it depends on the individual.

German football is like English football. The Germans and the English do not play like a Brazilian side. They have to improve, bring up their young players, who have character.

We are the last remaining country to allow ourselves two breaks in the season. You just have to look at England, Italy and Spain, they play right through the season. We on the other hand take six weeks off in the winter until the end of January, and that is a luxury

Back then, a half-a-century ago, the situation was totally different. Economically, we were practically on our knees, and politically, we were still excluded from the community of nations. Today, in this respect, we have a totally different and much more stable basis.

German football will be unbeatable for years to come.

In the World Cup, much depends for every team on how it develops during the tournament. There are always rising tensions. They come from within, and they come from the media.

They are full of world-class players and also impressed in the Confederations Cup. But in 2002 I said France and Argentina were my favorites, and both went home after the group stages.

Germany needs to have a handicap, like in golf. They ought to start each match with two goals in advance to their opposition.

You have to sometimes shoot from the second row, that's all football. So you have to be a bit more flexible.

I think it's fantastic, the way women are increasingly increasing in the Bundesliga.

If someone has the chance to be top scorer and you want to encourage him, then you give him the chance to be top scorer but it never happened. That's why I believe something is going on there.

Penalty shooting is always an uncertain affair because there is a lot of luck involved.

Possession means nothing when the opponent takes its chances

There's only one possibility: win, draw or loose

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Greatest Franz Beckenbauer quotes on Messi and Ronaldo 

In every generation, young football fans argue endlessly about who is the best player of the history of football. In our generation the debate is mostly between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo fans.

Beckenbauer has praised both Messi and Ronaldo in his interviews, but has stated that he believes Messi is an altogether more complete player. Here are the greatest Franz Beckenbauer quotes on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Franz Beckenbauer best quotes On Lionel Messi

He has been named as the heir apparent of the great Argentine hero, Diego Maradona, by journalists, players, and Maradona himself, alike. I'd personally put him in a drawer of my bedside table.

Messi is a genius. He has everything. When I watch him, I see a player who is very, very, skilful, very clever and his left foot is like Diego Maradona's.

For Barcelona, he is the one that makes the difference. Without Messi, Barcelona would be just another team. It's like when Bayern destroyed Barca in the semi-finals of the Champions League two years ago [winning 7-0 on aggregate] and Messi was not right.

now he is the best player in the world and of his time. However, the best ever is Pele. He is just ahead of Messi. I've never seen a player like Pele.

We should not compare humans to God, but Messi is a godly player.

Franz Beckenbauer best quotes On Cristiano Ronaldo

I’ll always remember the day once when I got together with Alex Ferguson, the legendary trainer and manager at Manchester United where Ronaldo was still playing.

Sir Alex told me: “Franz, you cannot imagine a harder-working player than Ronaldo. Whether it’s before training, or afterwards – day in and day out, he is practicing his dribbling, his free kicks. When talent, willpower and hard work come together, that’s when you get world-class.

Maybe there is more left yet for him to show. In the set-piece situations there is hardly any defence against Ronaldo, except for trying to keep him far away from the goal.

Best Franz Beckenbauer quotes about his life, career and family

Franz Beckenbauer had a highly successful career both as a player and a coach. He spent the majority of his club career at Bayern Munich and later managed the Bavarians in two glorious spells in the 90s. He also worked as a pundit and a columnist for more than three decades. The followings are the

Best Franz Beckenbauer quotes

about his life, career and family.

We collected scrap paper and scrap metal in order to earn the few pfennigs a leather football cost back then. Finally we had a ball. Obviously we played football with it every day and we took it in turns to take it home and grease it.

It wasn't the hand of God, it was a slap by an 1860 player. (On the clip round the ear by an 1860 Munich player in 1958, the reason why the 13-year-old Beckenbauer joined Bayern and not the Lions0

That is down to the art of the doctors. In my day they would have probably needed to amputate.

I was constantly on the move for 45 years. Now I can stay at home all day and look after the children.

I played through 15 straight months in a single year.

It would make me a lot happier if I could meet up again next year with as many friends as possible from all over the world who I've met during my career. That's where the great opportunity lies, for me personally, in our role as World Cup host.

I kept my speeches short as captain. I focused on the key points of the opposition of the day. As coach, I was never afraid to give long speeches to the players throughout our preparations. It was important they had all the information possible.

Unquestionably, it was also thanks to the World Cup win in 1974 that I was lucky enough to spend four years as a player in New York from 1977.

Sometimes, in the dressing room, I think I am in Hollywood

Someone has to do something in a country where everyone’s always complaining about the low birth rate. (Before the birth of his fifth child)

As someone who played a team sport, I feel a bit uncomfortable being ranked as an individual so high

"I've had my family tree researched: the Beckenbauer roots are in Franconia. They were merry people, all the kids born out of wedlock. We've carried on the tradition.

I've just read Sophie's World, this thick philosophical tome. Socrates, Aristotle, Plato and their ilk were thinking all those thoughts two thousand years ago, while we were still up in the trees, afraid of the wild boars. Only a very few people have moved on from there since then

Later on, I'd like to have nothing more to do with football, and there's absolutely no way I'll ever take a job as a coach.

Top quotes by Franz Beckenbauer about famous football players and teams

We wrap up our article on the greatest Franz Beckenbauer quotes with

Top quotes by Franz Beckenbauer

about other football great stars and teams. The followings are best quotes From Franz Beckenbauer on the famous football figures including his quotes on Pele, Maradona and Johan Cruyff.

On Gerd Muller:

What the FC Bayern has become is thanks to Gerd Mueller.

Gerd was the right choice -- no one was better.

On David Beckham:

He was sent off at the 1998 World Cup, and now he missed two penalties against France and Portugal. Beckham appears to have a problem with nerves.

It's quite possible that Beckham suffers from a mental block at big tournaments.

A man who can hit a fly on the crossbar from 30 metres couldn’t score from 12 yards out.

On Diego Maradona:

In any world championship, the best have to be on hand, and Maradona is one of them.

On Uwe Seeler:

That was an Uwe Seeler side; it was utter old-man’s football. We played the way the game was played 30 years ago.

On Pele:

Is there a chance for Red Bull to be as good as the Cosmos? No, because there is no other Pele in the world. ... We're here to help Red Bull to be champions.

I played with him at the New York Cosmos and you would give him the ball and just not see him again because he was too fast.

I would pass him the ball and watch him play, it was like Mozart. This year, playing with him was absolutely amazing

The best ever is Pele. He is just ahead of Messi. I've never seen a player like Pele. Pele was all instinct.

On Johan Cruyff:

Johan was a better player, but I won the World Cup.

On Jurgen Klinsmann:

Since Jurgen Klinsmann took over, the team has only played friendly matches, but now, for the first time, they are taking part in a real competition.

On Otto Rehhagel:

Rehhagel is a first-class coach - in the second division at least.

On Bobby Charlton:

I was told to mark what was then the best player - Bobby Charlton. Bobby told me later that (England manager) Alf Ramsey had told him to keep an eye on this young, good-looking German guy.

On George Best:

George Best was one of the most talented players of all time and probably the best footballer who never made it to a major world final.

On Sven Goran Eriksson:

Since Sven Goran Eriksson took over, England have been fantastic.

On Gunter Netzer:

I had a great life when I lived in America. That is, until Günter Netzer went and ruined everything

On Benedikt Howedes:

The one who’s really, really impressed me is Benedikt Howedes because he’s playing out of position. He’s never played at left back before in his life but he’s having a first-rate World Cup. So, the most astonishing player for me is Howedes.

On the Dutch football:

The Netherlands have great strikers... but they are only playing one. They are depriving themselves of their best qualities and shooting themselves in the foot.

You know the Dutch, they're always a bit funny... some of them.

The Dutch are braver and more creative players, but less disciplined. They want to let the opponent see and feel that they're better, but they forget to score and settle the game.

Best quotes From Franz Beckenbauer about Bayern Munich:

"There's lots of talk about rebuilding the east of the country, but we at Bayern are contributing actively. Who else was it who's handed points to Rostock and Cottbus?"

We should stick to the tried and trusted Bavarian rule, which is: Never change a winning team.

I do feel a certain pride, because I've contributed something to it all. As a player, as coach, as president, and I don't know what else.

If a Middle Eastern sheikh comes to buy Bayern Munich, he could buy 49 per cent. Fifty-one per cent must stay in Germany with the club. That law came about because of the developments of international football.

On Real Madrid:

I would probably say yes to Real Madrid, ... It's a legendary team that stands above all others and is the target of all players.

Real Madrid is a legendary team that stands above all others and is the target of all players.

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greatest Franz Beckenbauer quotes

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