Franz Beckenbauer, who led West Germany to World Cup success as a captain and manager, has been remembered as a “visionary” after his death at the age of 78.

Nicknamed ‘Der Kaiser’ (The Emperor) for his commanding style on the field, Beckenbauer was widely recognised as one of the best players in the game’s history.

A dominant midfielder or attacking sweeper, Beckenbauer won the World Cup as a player in 1974 and again as manager in 1990 – one of only three men to have done so.

He also won the European Cup three times in a row with Bayern Munich, the club he had joined at the age of 13 and later went on become a football administrator.

Beckenbauer’s health had been in decline for some time and, on Monday afternoon, Beckenbauer’s family announced his death in a statement to German news agency DPA.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family,” the statement read.

“We ask that you allow us to grieve in silence and refrain from asking any questions.”

The German Football Association (DFB) paid tribute to Beckenbauer, named European Footballer of the Year in both 1972 and 1976, as someone who “influenced football in Germany like no other”.

DFB director of the senior national team Rudi Voller played under Beckenbauer in 1990.

“I consider it one of the great privileges of my life to have known and experienced Franz Beckenbauer,” Voller said on the official DFB website.

“Our time together with the national team was crowned with the 1990 World Cup title in Rome, a title that would never have been possible without his outstanding coaching performance.

“The ‘Kaiser’ was an inspiration for more than one generation, he will forever remain the shining light of German football.

“With Franz Beckenbauer, German football is losing its greatest personality. I am losing a good friend.”

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann hailed Beckenbauer as “the best footballer in German history”.

Nagelsmann added: “His interpretation of the role of the libero changed the game, this role and his friendship with the ball made him a free man.

“Franz Beckenbauer was able to float on the lawn, as a footballer and later also as a coach he was sublime, he stood above things.

“When Franz Beckenbauer entered a room, the room lit up, he rightly earned the title ‘lighting figure of German football’.

“An aura surrounded him until the end, which even the health problems and strokes of fate that he had to cope with could not shake.

Lothar Matthaus captained Germany’s 1990 World Cup-winning side.

“The shock is deep, even though I knew that Franz wasn’t feeling well. His death is a loss for football and for Germany as a whole,” Matthaus told German media outlet Bild.

“He was one of the greatest as a player and coach, but also off the field. Franz was an outstanding personality not only in football, and he enjoyed worldwide recognition.

“Everyone who knew him knows what a great and generous person Franz was. A good friend left us. I will miss him – we will all miss him.”

Bayern Munich posted a heartfelt tribute on the club’s social media account.

“The world of FC Bayern is no longer what it used to be – suddenly darker, quieter, poorer,” a club statement read.

“The German record champions mourn Franz Beckenbauer, the unique “Emperor”, without whom FC Bayern would never have become the club it today is. Rest in peace.”

Former Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge felt his former team-mate “rewrote the history of German football and left a lasting impact on it”.

Rummenigge added: “As a personality, he impressed with his great respect for all people – because everyone was equal before Franz.

“German football is losing the greatest personality in its history. We will miss him more than painfully. Thank you for everything, dear Franz.”

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin believes Beckenbauer’s legacy as one of football’s all-time greats is “beyond dispute”.

“His unparalleled versatility, graceful transitions between defence and midfield, impeccable ball control, and visionary style reshaped the way football was played in his era,” Ceferin said in a statement.

“His leadership qualities shone through as he captained both the national team and Bayern Munich during their most successful periods and continued to shine bright in his coaching career.

“Beckenbauer’s legacy as one of football’s all-time greats is beyond dispute.”

Franz Beckenbauer, who led West Germany to World Cup success as a captain and manager, has died at the age of 78, his family have announced.

Nicknamed ‘Der Kaiser’ (The Emperor) for his commanding style on the field, Beckenbauer was widely recognised as one of the best players in the game’s history.

He won the World Cup as a player in 1974 and again as manager in 1990. A dominant midfielder or attacking sweeper, he also won the European Cup three times with Bayern Munich.

A statement from his family to German news agency DPA read: “It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family.

“We ask that you allow us to grieve in silence and refrain from asking any questions.”

What the papers say

Newcastle United are confident of landing England midfielder Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City , reports the Daily Telegraph. Juventus, Everton and Crystal Palace are also interested in the 28-year-old.

Manager Mikel Arteta says Arsenal are prepared to bolster the squad in January after injuries left them “exposed”, according to The Guardian. Arteta said the club would “try to make the right calls”.

Raphael Varane, 30, is being chased by former club Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, according to the Daily Mirror via Spanish outlet Sport. The Manchester United defender can negotiate a summer move from January with his contract up at the end of the season.

Any moves by Manchester United in the January transfer window will need to be cleared by Ineos after the company’s deal to buy a 25% share of the club.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Matthijs de Ligt: Arsenal are unlikely to make a move for the Dutch defender, 24, from Bayern Munich but he remains on their radar, reports The Athletic.

Antonee Robinson: Liverpool are interested in Fulham’s US full-back, 26, for a potential January signing, says 90 Min.

Harry Kane produced a long-range stunner to help Bayern Munich close out 2023 with a 2-1 win at Wolfsburg.

Kane fired home from 25 yards in the 43rd minute for his 21st Bundesliga goal of the season to put Thomas Tuchel’s side in control after Jamal Musiala opened the scoring on his landmark appearance.

Wolfsburg captain Maximilian Arnold reduced the arrears on the stroke of half-time with a fine strike of his own, but Niko Kovac’s men were unable to take points off his former side Bayern, who stayed second and four points behind Bayer Leverkusen going into the mid-season break.

Tuchel could only name six substitutes at Volkswagen Arena and remained without Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich.

It was actually Wolfsburg who made the stronger start with Manuel Neuer forced to deny Mattias Svanberg early on, but it was not a sign of things to come.

Kane got his first sight of goal soon after although failed to connect sufficiently enough with his attempted volley as Bayern tried to stamp their authority on proceedings.

The visitors dominated possession and should have broke the deadlock in the 28th minute, but Thomas Muller failed to find the net with two efforts after Leroy Sane’s centre.

Muller, fresh from signing a new contract on Tuesday, headed against the crossbar minutes later before he turned provider with 33 minutes on the clock.

Bayern’s experienced attacker cut inside and produced a superb cross with his left foot that Musiala headed home to mark his 100th Bundesliga appearance in style.

A second assist followed for Muller 10 minutes later, but it was all about Kane as he curled into the top corner from range for his 25th goal in all competitions this season before he celebrated by sliding towards the corner flag.

It was not a perfect half for Tuchel though after Wolfsburg reduced the deficit in stoppage time when Arnold’s swerving effort beat Neuer from long range.

Wolfsburg pressed for a second after the break and had penalty appeals turned down when Svanberg went down in the area following contact from Kim Min-Jae, but play was waved on.

Tuchel reacted soon after with Matthijs de Ligt introduced for his first appearance since November 1 following a knee injury.

Raphael Guerreiro could have sealed the points with 16 minutes left, but his close-range shot was blocked.

Wolfsburg did fashion one late opportunity and Neuer punched away Arnold’s speculative effort.

Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller has extended his contract with the club until June 2025.

The 34-year-old has been with Bayern since he was 10 years old and, since making his senior debut for the club in 2008, he has gone on to amass 684 competitive appearances for the first team, ranking him second in Bayern’s all-time appearance list.

Muller has helped the club win 12 Bundesliga titles, two Champions Leagues, the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup trophies as well as six DFB Cups and eight German Supercups.

On the international stage, the German forward won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Muller told the Bayern website: “I’m happy my journey at Bayern is continuing. I want to play my part in us remaining successful, both as a team and the whole club.

“It’s important to me to be a foundation and to help steer the team in the right direction. I want to excite our fans with goals, helping create goals, my love of the game, my passion for football – and hopefully with many more titles.”

Sporting director Christoph Freund added: “We’re very pleased that Thomas Muller will be staying at FC Bayern for another season.

“He’s a leader both on and off the pitch, always a role model and incredibly valuable for the entire team. Thomas pushes every team with his open and positive manner on and off the pitch.

“The way he plays is extremely clever, for the team, and he’s very versatile in where he can play. Thomas is also almost never injured, always there – just quality and reliability personified.”

Bayern Munich will check on Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich ahead of their final Bundesliga match before the winter break against Wolfsburg.

The midfield pair missed the weekend win over Stuttgart with illness and they are still being monitored.

Goalkeeper Sven Ulreich is not fit to return to the squad so Daniel Peretz will continue to deputise.

“We hope there are no more ill players,” Thomas Tuchel said on the club’s official website. “It’s an hourly update with Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich. It’ll be tight for both. We think the rest are fit.

“It looks like Daniel Peretz will be in the squad again with Ulle not yet back.”

Bayern are guaranteed to go into the winter break in second position in the Bundesliga table following an excellent first half of the campaign by Bayer Leverkusen.

They will have work to do if they are to claim a 12th title in a row, but Tuchel wants his side to finish on a high.

“Our work is always about looking ahead,” he added. “A lot has happened this year. We’re making good progress and are trying to meet our tasks.

“We want to continue developing our team. It’s all good and we’re looking forward to a break. But we want to take the next step in Wednesday’s game.

“We want to be better in possession. Wolfsburg have different tactics from Stuttgart. We’re again expecting a back five.

“We want more of the ball and will now take on a new task. It’s down to us. How good are the movements and distances? Let’s see what challenges the game brings. We hope we can have the right answers.”

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Tuchel is keen to temper expectations of teenager Aleksandar Pavlovic following his breakthrough in the team in recent weeks.

The former Chelsea boss said: “We knew before that we have Aleks and what he can do. He was always good in training. It helps nobody if Aleks is our solution in that position now at 19.

“We’ll do everything that makes sense for the club and youth development. We’re the biggest fans of our own youth players from the Campus. Aleks has earned it with the way he is and how he trains. It’s good if we don’t overpraise someone.

“It’s good what he’s doing. He always has a smile on his face and is very grounded. Quality always comes through.”

Harry Kane racked up his 20th Bundesliga goal in a record 14 games as he fired Bayern Munich to a 3-0 win over Stuttgart on Sunday.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the exploits of the England captain – and his international team-mate Jude Bellingham, who scored again for Real Madrid the same night.

Kane shatters record

Kane’s double against Stuttgart took him to 20 goals in the German top flight 50 per cent quicker in terms of matches than the previous record, held since the Bundesliga’s inaugural season in 1963-64 by Uwe Seeler.

The late Hamburg and West Germany striker scored 20 in his first 21 league appearances for his hometown club and 30 in 30 that season, taking his Hamburg tally to 297 in 267 games after several prolific years in the Oberliga Nord before the formation of the new national top flight.

His record came under threat in 2020 from another name familiar to Premier League fans as Erling Haaland made a mid-season move to Borussia Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg. The Norwegian scored 11 in 15 games in the remainder of that season and began 2020-21 with 10 in seven.

He therefore missed out on Seeler’s record by one game before passing 20 in style with four in a 5-2 win over Hertha Berlin.

Kane, though, has produced an unprecedented start.

He netted on his Bundesliga debut against Werder Bremen and scored twice against Augsburg before being shut out by Borussia Monchengladbach.

A goal against Bayer Leverkusen made it four in four games, followed by a hat-trick against Bochum. Goals against RB Leipzig and Mainz took him to nine in eight games.

He scored eight in his next three, successive hat-tricks against Darmstadt and Dortmund and a brace against Heidenheim, and also scored against Cologne before Sunday’s historic double.

In all he has three hat-tricks and three doubles and has scored in 11 of his 14 league appearances. Four Champions League goals take his Bayern total to 24 in 21 appearances.

The last man to score 20 goals or more in the first half of a Bundesliga season was Kane’s predecessor in Bayern’s number nine shirt, Robert Lewandowski, who had 22 in 2020-21 and went on to score 41 in the season – breaking Gerd Muller’s Bundesliga record of 40, also for Bayern in 1971-72. Muller in 1968-69 was the only other player to reach 20 by this stage.

Golden Boy Bellingham

Bellingham’s form this year earned him Tuttosport’s Golden Boy award in November and the Kopa Trophy at October’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, awarded respectively to Europe and the world’s best young player.

A stunning start to his LaLiga career has raised the possibility of the 20-year-old pushing for the main Ballon d’Or award in future seasons, with Sunday’s opener in Madrid’s 4-1 win over Villarreal being his 17th goal in 20 appearances for the Spanish giants.

That includes 13 in 15 league games, with doubles against Almeria, Osasuna and bitter rivals Barcelona, the latter to earn a last-minute Clasico win after Barca had led 1-0.

He has also scored Champions League goals against Union Berlin, Braga and in both meetings with Napoli to further justify his claim to Zinedine Zidane’s old number five shirt at the Bernabeu.

Harry Kane took his Bundesliga goal tally to 20 by scoring twice as Bayern Munich returned to winning ways with a 3-0 victory over Stuttgart.

Top-scorer Kane struck after only two minutes and the hosts could have been out of sight by the break but for Bayern loanee Alexander Nubel in the Stuttgart goal.

Kim Min-jae and Thomas Muller both had efforts ruled out by VAR in the first half, but Kane doubled their lead early in the second before Kim headed home the third as Bayern remained four points off league leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayern were out to bounce back from their 5-1 thumping by Eintracht Frankfurt weekend and got off to the ideal start as Leroy Sane squared the ball for Kane to steer into an empty net.

Stuttgart attacks were few and far between throughout the contest, but Maximilian Mittelstadt’s tame effort was saved comfortably by Manuel Neuer.

The hosts thought they had a second in the 25th minute when Kim nodded home an Aleksandar Pavlovic free-kick, but it was ruled out by VAR with the defender adjudged to be offside.

Bayern threatened again before the half-hour mark as Sane fired straight at the Nubel at the near post.

The former Manchester City winger had another opportunity a couple of minutes later after being teed up by Muller but rolled it wide of a post.

Another chance came and went for Bayern as a Kane effort was superbly parried by Nubel and Jamal Musiala smashed the rebound over the bar.

Another goal was ruled out by VAR when Bayern capitalised on some poor Stuttgart possession and Muller found himself in space before slotting home, with his celebrations cut short by an offside decision.

The hosts finally doubled their lead 10 minutes after the break. Another free-kick from Pavlovic was flicked on by Kim and Kane was at the back post to nod home his 20th Bundesliga goal in only his 14th game.

Bayern kept pressing and had a third eight minutes later as a Pavlovic corner was headed home by Kim via a deflection.

Fourth-placed Stuttgart had another shot on target with 10 minutes to play as Jamie Leweling advanced into the area and cut on to his left foot, but his drilled strike was saved by Neuer to deny them a consolation.

Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel insists his side will “give everything” to earn victory over fellow high-flyers Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

Munich bounced back from their humiliating 5-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt with a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Champions League on Tuesday thanks to a second-half strike from Kingsley Coman and Tuchel’s side will be looking to set the record straight in the league again.

Stuttgart sit just one place beneath Munich in the table and could leapfrog the German champions with victory at the Allianz Arena.

Tuchel thinks Sebastian Hoeness’ team deserve their lofty placing due to consistent performances.

He told a press conference: “They’re very consistent. Together they’re greater than the sum of their parts. They deserve to be up where they are. They’re very homogeneous, tactically very flexible.”

“It’s impressive how Stuttgart play. You can see Sebastian’s mark on the team. I think Stuttgart have had a consistent over performance, so there must be good unity between the team and the coach.

“It’s completely deserved, so we’ll give everything our greatest respect and recognise that.”

Coman and Noussair Mazraoui both featured at Old Trafford in midweek but picked up injuries and were subsequently substituted which will rule them out of the clash on Sunday.

The pair will join Serge Gnabry on the sidelines but Tuchel will be hoping to have top scorer Harry Kane in his ranks after an illness.

Tuchel continued: “We’ve got tough games. The fixture list is how it is, we know it beforehand.

“The two injuries on our right side hurt us. They were both in good form. King has had a very good season so far. Nous too.

“It came out of nowhere and hurts because both are important players.

“Harry Kane is a bit ill. We hope he can train again tomorrow. Jamal Musiala is fine.”

Bayern will be looking to extend their unbeaten run at home with a return to winning ways but Tuchel thinks his side need to be at their best to earn a result.

He added: “Everyone wants minutes. It’s even more important now we don’t have as much competition for places that the intrinsic motivation is high.

“We showed that at Old Trafford. It needs to be there again on Sunday. If we won’t match that with the same spirit as Stuttgart show every game, then we won’t win.”

England captain Harry Kane has enlisted the help of Google’s AI tool Bard to help his family get ready to settle into their new life in Munich.

Kane left boyhood club Tottenham in August to join Bayern Munich in a £100million transfer and has already scored 22 goals in 20 appearances for the German outfit.

While Kane has hit the ground running with Bayern, he has been living in Munich on his own after his wife Kate gave birth to their fourth child Henry a week after his big-money move.

However, Kane’s family are set to permanently join him in Germany shortly and the 30-year-old has joined forces with Google to showcase how Bard can help with every day situations on and off the pitch.

“I am excited to be teaming up with Google, especially on a product as impressive as Bard,” Kane said.

“I recognise how the potential of AI can help me in all sorts of ways with my move to Germany and to get my kids settled into a new life in Munich.

“Bard even suggested some new goal celebrations – we’ll have to see if I use them on the pitch!”

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During a series of short video clips, Kane asked Bard to help his children adjust to life in Munich by coming up with a bedtime story to explain why they should be excited about moving to Germany.

He also used Google’s AI tool to plan a treasure hunt through Munich’s most famous sights and got Bard to translate his most commonly used English phrases in post-match interviews to German.

Google UKI’s Eileen Mannion added: “We’re thrilled to be teaming up with Harry Kane on our latest campaign, which shows how Google’s conversational AI Bard can help anyone, even the England’s football captain, in everyday situations.”

Federico Chiesa is "unstoppable" in one-on-one situations and would be a fantastic signing for any of Europe's top clubs, believes his former Juventus and Italy team-mate Giorgio Chiellini. 

Chiesa has been linked with a move to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in recent months, having impressed for Massimiliano Allegri's much-improved Juventus side this season. 

The Italy international only made six league starts for the Bianconeri in 2022-23, having battled back from an anterior cruciate ligament injury which caused him to miss most of 2022.

He has been back to something approaching his best this term, scoring four goals and adding one assist in 14 league games to help Juventus stay within two points of Inter at the Serie A summit.

Chiellini – who called time on his own glittering career at the age of 39 this week – believes the Azzurri forward could be a difference-maker for any of the continent's elite teams.

Speaking exclusively to Stats Perform, the former defender said: "Chiesa is a player that could play in every big team in Europe. He could face you 10 times and beat you nine of 10 times! 

"He can go right and left, his pace is amazing. He's fantastic for that type of job. 

"He's not the type of player that links the team, like a number 10, not a player that likes to have the ball and connect passes with team-mates, but one against one, he's unstoppable. 

"We have to use that in the space, one against one, starting from the edge and trying to shoot or cross into good positions. 

"That's the player that Chiesa is and that makes the difference. He would be good for Bayern, he would be good for Juventus and also many other teams all over Europe because these skills are unique and he's very good at that. 

"He's maybe not able to do other things but in those skills, he's very, very, very good."

Erik ten Hag told his Manchester United players to make sure they get straight back into the Champions League next season after a dismal European campaign ended in an early exit at the hands of Bayern Munich on Tuesday night.

Kingsley Coman’s 70th-minute goal, laid on by Harry Kane, gave the Germans a 1-0 win and ensured United finished bottom of Group A – beaten to second place by FC Copenhagen, operating on a fraction of their budget, and to third and the consolation of Europa League football by Galatasaray.

The final whistle was greeted with boos at Old Trafford, where United lost for the seventh time this season – having now lost more games in all competitions, 12, than they have won, 11.

Ten Hag’s side are out of Europe, out of the League Cup, and sixth in the Premier League going into Sunday’s visit to leaders Liverpool. Defeat also came at a cost, with both Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw picking up injuries before half-time.

“There are still many things to play for now, we can focus on the Premier League,” Ten Hag said.

“This is the level we want to play, the Champions League, so we have to give every effort to get into the top four so next year we are back in the Champions League – and of course there is the FA Cup so there are still many things to play for.”

In a match they needed to win, United mustered only one shot on target, a Shaw effort that never really troubled Manuel Neuer. A much better chance fell to Bruno Fernandes early in the second half but the captain blazed over.

Bayern, already assured of top spot in the group, barely needed to get out of second gear but Ten Hag insisted his side performed well.

“I think the game was like this, both sides had less chances but I think there was a good intensity from our side,” the Dutchman said.

“We brought Bayern out of their rhythm, the defending organisation we did quite well if not very well, especially the first part of second half. Also we had a very good chance from Bruno, so we had our moments but didn’t take them.”

Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel, who bounced back from Saturday’s 5-1 humbling away to Eintracht Frankfurt, admitted he had expected United to progress from Group A and had sympathy for Ten Hag’s position – pointing to United’s long list of absentees.

“I think you could see it’s not an easy time for them. I’m pretty sure he knows what to do next, how to influence his team and he doesn’t need any advice from me,” Tuchel said. “He is experienced enough to go through it.”

Kane set up Coman’s goal with a perfectly placed pass with the outside of his boot and the man United coveted for so long was a constant menace as he linked up Bayern’s attacking play and sent a late header narrowly wide.

“Harry is a difference maker, 100 per cent,” Tuchel said of the England captain. “His personality, his calmness.

“The team knows anything can happen any minute with Harry up front. He can always assist, he can always score.”

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag accepts he has to make the team better but he also called on the players to shoulder more responsibility.

A 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich saw United’s European football ended by a bottom-place finish in their group with their lowest points return and highest number of defeats – both four.

“We know we want to be more consistent; me as a manager I have to improve the team and guide them and the players have to take the responsibility,” he told TNT Sports.

Asked whether he looked back on the European campaign with regret he added: “Not with regret. We want to be in it and the target was always to be in it over winter.

“We didn’t make it and we have to accept it and learn from it.

“But we played good football in the Champions League: Rasmus Hojlund scored five times and he has to take that belief into the Premier League.

“That counts for the whole team, to take some good performances in the Premier League as we want to be back in the Champions League again and so we have to qualify from the League.”

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand criticised some “kamikaze football” after their embarrassing exit from European competition.

A 1-0 defeat at home to Bayern Munich, their 15th goal conceded in six matches, ensured Erik ten Hag’s side finished bottom of Group A even without Copenhagen’s win over Galatasaray.

“To score three goals in each of their away games and not come away with much points it’s criminal. It is kamikaze football almost,” Ferdinand told TNT Sports.

“You get what you deserve. If you are not clinical and you can’t close matches out you don’t deserve to progress to the knockout phase.

“I think it’s the best worst-case scenario. I would rather Man United go out and concentrate on the league than go into the Europa League and exert themselves more.”

Ex-United midfielder Paul Scholes was disappointed with the team’s lack of a goal threat in a match they needed to win after scoring 12 times in their previous five matches.

“In some games they looked very good, they were getting leads in games, but they couldn’t manage to see the games out,” said Scholes.

“Tonight you never really felt Mancester United were going to score goals. It’s all about getting the balance right and it’s been a struggle from the off.”