Former Dynamo Kyiv head coach Mircea Lucescu has spoken out over the passing of legendary German footballer Franz Beckenbauer, who passed away yesterday at the age of 79.
"I find it incredible to think that Franz Beckenbauer is gone. I'm very sorry for that. It's a huge loss for football.
I remember swapping shirts with Franz in April 1970, after the Romania national team's friendly against Germany in Stuttgart, just before the World Cup in Mexico. Number 4, I can't forget that number. We equalised then, 1-1. The meeting with Beckenbauer and that draw with Germany was a huge incentive for us in the subsequent final tournament.
Beckenbauer made the strongest impression on me, I deeply admired him. What he did went beyond football. It was ballet in his performance, not football. How easily he ran! It was like he was dancing with the ball. Absolute elegance.
He won so many trophies both as a player and as a coach. He ended his career in triumph in 1990 after leading Germany to the World Cup title and as a coach, not just as its captain.
So many memorable moments. Beckenbauer played in the 1970 World Cup semi-final against Italy with a bandaged right hand. What a character he had! He never left the team no matter what happened to him.
All my memories of Beckenbauer are linked to his evolution. I consider him the best player in the history of football in his position. Franz turned a zone of struggle and toughness into a space of football. How he dominated the game, how he appeared on the field exactly where he was needed, and how he moved with the ball! His position on the pitch was defensive, but he had an attacking spirit. He became the prototypical attacking defender. Add to that his intelligence and intuition. A legend who had a decisive influence on football," Gazeta Sportuliror quoted Lucescu as saying.