Franz Beckenbauer, German football legend, no more

Franz Beckenbauer, a German football legend, died on Sunday at the age of 78, his family said Monday.

"It is with deep sadness that we inform you that my husband and our father Franz Beckenbauer passed away peacefully yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family," his family announced.

"We ask that you mourn in silence and refrain from asking any questions."

Confirming his death, the German football federation (DFB) said Beckenbauer passed away in Munich. No cause of death has been revealed.

Nicknamed "Der Kaiser" (The Emperor), Beckenbauer is widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of all time.

He was one of just three people ever to win the World Cup both as a player and a coach, alongside the late Mario Zagallo of Brazil and France‍‍`s Didier Deschamps.

Beckenbauer led West Germany to two World Cup triumphs, first as a player in 1974, then as a head coach in 1990.

As a player, he starred with German Bundesliga side Bayern Munich from 1965 to 1977, scoring 44 goals in 396 league appearances.

He played in 103 international matches for Germany, serving as team captain on 50 occasions, according to the federation.

Beckenbauer also successfully headed his country’s bid to stage the 2006 World Cup.

Apart from his success with the national team, he earned numerous honors during his tenure at Bayern Munich, including three consecutive European Cups and the Intercontinental Cup.

After coaching, Beckenbauer moved into football administration.

However he made headlines in 2016 when was fined by FIFA‍‍`s ethics committee for failing to co-operate with an inquiry into corruption over the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in Russia and Qatar, respectively.