Legendary former Milan and Italy defender Franco Baresi has paid tribute to the late Franz Beckenbauer, admitting that he often felt ‘uncomfortable’ when people made comparisons between him and ‘Der Kaiser’.
The two-time Ballon d’Or winner and three-time European Cup winner passed away at the age of 78 on Sunday night.
Baresi is one of a growing list of footballing giants who have sent their condolences to the Beckenbauer family, reflecting on what he calls “a sad moment.”
“What can I say? Franz has left us. An icon. A myth. He was an emperor for the way that he interpreted his role, I admired him so much.
“Technique, personality and elegance. He defined an era and for me he was an enormous inspiration. I often felt uncomfortable when they compared me to him.”
Beckenbauer is one of just three people to win the World Cup as both a player and coach. His Bayern Munich side of the mid-70s are also one of just three teams to have won three consecutive European Cups.
On top of that, he has five Bundesliga titles on his CV as a player, as well as four DFB-Pokals and a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
As a coach, Beckenbauer added another World Cup title to his CV with West Germany in 1990 and claimed a Ligue 1 title with Marseille, before returning to Bayern Munich to win the Bundesliga title in 1993-94 and the UEFA Cup during his second spell in 1995-96.
More must-reads: