Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel paid tribute to the “extraordinary” Franz Beckenbauer, who died last weekend at the age of 78.
Tuchel told the Bundesliga website that “he’s so, so humble” is “very striking to me.”
“Being that extraordinary person, that extraordinary player and coach of the German national team and coach here of Bayern Munich” Tuchel said in a statement.
“And winning all the titles that you can win and still (to) be that humble and a low-key personality was always outstanding.”
Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup as both a player and a manager, has been hailed and applauded this week for his services to the game by people from all walks of life in Germany.
“I think that’s the greatest gift… that everybody felt close to him even if you were not close.”
Beckenbauer, who was born in Munich, joined Bayern as a youth player and helped the club achieve its first-ever promotion to the Bundesliga before helping establish the club into a European powerhouse.
He won four trophies with Bayern as a player and another as a coach before becoming club president.
Tuchel was hired coach of Bayern Munich in March 2023, and he helped the team win their 11th consecutive Bundesliga championship, defeating runners-up Borussia Dortmund on goal difference.
“No one’s ever going to do that again,” Tuchel remarked of Beckenbauer’s career. “I mean the way he played and how he won everything.”
“The way he played was revolutionary. The elegance and the dedication. And traveling abroad to New York, and all the other trendy stuff.
“He made way for a lot of generations to come afterwards and is still a role model in many things that he did.”
Bayern will play Hoffenheim in Munich on Friday, with all Bundesliga teams holding a pre-game minute of silence to honor Beckenbauer’s demise this weekend.