Thread: Franz Beckenbauer

Was Franz Beckenbauer the best footballer in the world? I say yes indeed!

He was good but not great, Pele, Maradona, George Best, Zidane, Platini, Baggio were quality attacking players.

Yep will always be mentioned amongst the greats but many others can be argues the greatest

Personally I think Messi will overtake everyone in the next few years - the guy is amazing


But the names Pele, Maradona, Best, Zidane, Groves, Beckanbauer, Cryuff, Charlton etc.. .will forever be linked with the 'greatest' tag

Messi is in a great team, let him go to a crap team in Italy that has never won the league and win it with him playing and get Argentina to win the world cup single handedly then you can say he is up there otherwise no.

Originally Posted by Master

Messi is in a great team, let him go to a crap team in Italy that has never won the league and win it with him playing and get Argentina to win the world cup single handedly then you can say he is up there otherwise no.

A good point! I know they say one player cannot make a team, but Maradona quite literally did when at Napoli

Another great player imo is Marco Van Basten - best striker in my lifetime I think

Originally Posted by BIG H

Originally Posted by Master

Messi is in a great team, let him go to a crap team in Italy that has never won the league and win it with him playing and get Argentina to win the world cup single handedly then you can say he is up there otherwise no.

A good point! I know they say one player cannot make a team, but Maradona quite literally did when at Napoli

Another great player imo is Marco Van Basten - best striker in my lifetime I think

Ronaldo (buck tooth Brazillian) is also up there as a striker

Originally Posted by Master

Messi is in a great team, let him go to a crap team in Italy that has never won the league and win it with him playing and get Argentina to win the world cup single handedly then you can say he is up there otherwise no.

ok will email him. He won't be able to resist a challenge and will sign for Bologna by the weekend - am sure of it

Originally Posted by Master

He was good but not great, Pele, Maradona, George Best, Zidane, Platini, Baggio were quality attacking players.

Go wash your mouth out with soap!

Beckenbauer was DEFINITELY great. I think the OP might be making the point that when you weigh up abilities both offensively & defensively into the equation, then Beckenbauer might be the 'best' player ever.

I think you have to divide these things though.

Anyway as you & H say, I'd have to go with Maradona as best ever. Compare his performances with Argentina with Messi's (truly awful so far in the Copa America) & then think that as good as Messi is doing with Barcelona, he has at least two other ATGs in his team (Xavi & Iniesta) helping him out. Meanwhile, as H said, Maradona took Napoli to two Serie A titles in what was arguably the most competitive era of any domestic league in history. The only other world-class player on that team at the time was Careca. Then look at who the other sides had:

Inter - Klinnsmann, Matthaus, Brehme, Bergomi, Zenga

Juventus - Platini, Michael Laudrup, Boniek, Scirea, Cabrini

Sampdoria - Vialli, Mancini, Toninho Cerezo, Lombardo, Pagliuca

Roma - Peruzzi, Voller, Giannini, Conti, Berthold

Milan (arguably best club side of all time) - Van Basten, Gullit, Maldini, Rijkaard, Donadoni, Baresi, Costacurta.

To twice win leagues against sides like that really is something particularly when you are almost a one man team.

I remember reading a pretty good story about Beckenbauer in Bobby Charlton's autobiography (The England Years).

He says before the 1966 WC Final, Alf Ramsey came up to him and asked him to man mark Beckenbauer throughout the game. Charlton was a bit miffed at the idea because he wouldn't be able to play his normal, attacking game, but he agreed anyway. Ramsey had said that if Germany were going to win the game, Beckenbauer would win it for them and he needed his best player to stop their best player from dictating the game for West Germany.

Anyway, as the players were taking up their positions ready for kick off, he said he was standing to the left side of the centre circle (I think, it's been a few years since I've read it). Beckenbauer lined up directly opposite him, and they looked at each other. Charlton said in that moment he knew they'd both just realised they'd been asked to man mark the other.

I thought that was great, that they'd both been asked to sacrifice their normal game in order to stop the other team's most creative player from being able to dictate the game. He said a similar thing happened before the game in the 1970 WC as well.

Originally Posted by JazMerkin

Originally Posted by Master

He was good but not great, Pele, Maradona, George Best, Zidane, Platini, Baggio were quality attacking players.

Go wash your mouth out with soap!

Beckenbauer was DEFINITELY great. I think the OP might be making the point that when you weigh up abilities both offensively & defensively into the equation, then Beckenbauer might be the 'best' player ever.

^^^^^^ This. Couldn't say it in a better way. Put Pele or Maradona into some defensive position and they'd look like some rookies. Beckenbauer could swing both ways,lol.


PS: I've got some quality french soap here, if ya wanna try.

OK I was wrong in the sense that he was a great player but Barresi, Moore, were better defenders and people admire attacking players more than defensive ones.

Originally Posted by Mark TKO

Originally Posted by Master

Messi is in a great team, let him go to a crap team in Italy that has never won the league and win it with him playing and get Argentina to win the world cup single handedly then you can say he is up there otherwise no.

ok will email him. He won't be able to resist a challenge and will sign for Bologna by the weekend - am sure of it

I somehow doubt you have his email address never mind persuading him to play for anyone, oh you were joking, I get it. Good one.

Originally Posted by Master

OK I was wrong in the sense that he was a great player but Barresi, Moore, were better defenders and people admire attacking players more than defensive ones.

That's a horrid myth and stereotype. But at least you got the class to admit that you were wrong.

Originally Posted by GOAT

Originally Posted by Master

OK I was wrong in the sense that he was a great player but Barresi, Moore, were better defenders and people admire attacking players more than defensive ones.

That's a horrid myth and stereotype. But at least you got the class to admit that you were wrong.

I'd agree that Moore & Baresi were better defenders though, but still for any player who started his career in attacking midfield to be one of the top 10 CBs of all time is something.

The only competition I could imagine for all-rounders would be Gullit & Socrates, but I think Beckenbauer probably trumps them.

Franz is def. one of the greats.
Is he the greatest?
Not in my book.

El Fenomeno, Maradona, Pele, ZiZou, Platini, DiStefano, Best, Eusebio and Puskas quickly come to mind.

Since were on the subject, just want to see what peoples comments are on these players;
George Weah, Gheorghe Hagi, Garrincha, Maldini and Ronald Koeman.

Originally Posted by Mark TKO

Personally I think Messi will overtake everyone in the next few years - the guy is amazing

Messi has A LOT to prove still.
Great club player in every sense of the word.
Horrible (up to this day) international player.
I must sound like a broken record but club level and International level are 2 different things.
He has literally done jack shit for Argentina when it matters most.
2 WC where he's been absent.
A Copa America where he somewhat showed up but disappeared when it mattered.
And now this Copa America which he has decided not to show up either.
Ohh yeah an Olympic God Medal.
He reminds me of Hugo Sanchez...
Great at club level, not so much with his Int. team.