"When he walked into a room, he lit it up," said Karl-Heinz Rummenigge about Franz Beckenbauer, describing the special light touch that surrounded the "Kaiser". Beckenbauer was always straight-talking, never minced his words – and always struck the right tone with his manner. A selection of his best sayings and quotes.
Beckenbauer on age and health
"It feels like it was 200 years ago, but I can still remember it quite well." (Beckenbauer in May 2015 on his early days at FC Bayern)
"I used to have to earn my awards and trophies. From a certain age you don't have to do anything for them." (in October 2013 after being named DFB honorary member)
"You don't spill food, you drink it." - As a true Bavarian, Beckenbauer was in no mood for jokes when it came to beer.
"We used to eat pork hock before the game and still won, but these days you become a champion with muesli." (in March 2007 on the transformation in professional football)
"I don't like it at all. Beer is a food in Bavaria. You don't spill food, you drink it." (in May 2014 on beer showers)
The critic Beckenbauer
"It's clear that you treat your own team more critically than others that you more or less don't care about. My carotid artery swells up and it has to come out, otherwise you get an ulcer. The next morning, when I read what I said in the newspaper, I'm sorry again." (in August 2012 on his work as a TV pundit and FC Bayern)
"The only thing that moved in the first half was the wind." (in June 2002 on Germany's performance against Cameroon in the World Cup)
"The way we played football, that has nothing to do with football. We're playing a different sport. (...) That's not football, that's Uwe Seeler's legends team, old men's football!" (in March 2001 after a 3-0 defeat for Bayern at Lyon. The team took the criticism to heart and won the Champions League two months later)
"That was tired, rubbish football, which at times bordered on abuse of the ball. Maybe the event with Germany was only the B European Championship. The A European Championship is now taking place without us. We would've only disturbed it anyway." (Beckenbauer with harsh words about Germany at EURO 2000)
"I've been wondering what the name of the game is that we played. It certainly wasn't football." (in March 1997 after a 5-2 defeat for FC Bayern at Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
Beckenbauer on the 1990 World Cup
"I believe the German team will be unbeatable for years. I'm sorry to the rest of the world, but we're going to be unbeatable for the next few years." (in July 1990 at a press conference after the World Cup win in Rome – Beckenbauer's vision wasn't entirely realised)
"Go out, have fun and play football." (the legendary team talk before Germany's win in the 1990 World Cup final)
"I wanted to be alone. After all I'd been away for six weeks with difficult people." (in June 2014 on his quiet triumph after Germany's 1990 World Cup victory)
"I'm sorry to the rest of the world, but we're going to be unbeatable for the next few years." – Beckenbauer and his own prediction after the 1990 World Cup win.
Beckenbauer, a man of the world
"I so enjoyed holding the Chancellor in my arms after the Argentina game. I would have loved to do that a second time, but the Italians put a spanner in the works." (at a reception of Angela Merkel for FIFA, July 2006)
"This seems to be Austria's most famous city now." (in June 2008 on Córdoba, where Austria pulled off a shock against Germany at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina)
"Chatting about football with the Pope was the most important moment in my life." (in October 2005 following his visit to Pope Benedikt)
In our series, we look back over the life of Franz Beckenbauer:
Topics of this article