Today gave the world several famous people who closely connected their lives with soccer:
Gennadiy Litovchenko (1963) - a legendary footballer who played as a midfielder. He is best known for playing for Dnipro and Dynamo Kyiv. Two-time champion and winner of the USSR Cup. Finalist of the 1988 European Championship. Twice took part in the World Championships. As a member of the USSR national team he played 57 matches, scored 14 goals. Also Litovchenko managed to play several matches in the national team of Ukraine.
Franz Beckenbauer (1945-2024) - legendary German defender. During his career he played for three clubs: Bayern Munich, Hamburg and New York Cosmos. World and European champion as a soccer player. As a member of the German national team, Franz played 103 matches, in which he scored 14 goals.
He is considered the best defender of the twentieth century. Two-time winner of the "Golden Ball". Beckenbauer's coaching career is no less successful than the game - Franz became world champion with the German national team, winner of the French Cup with Marseille, German champion and UEFA Cup winner with Bayern. Beckenbauer was president of the Munich club and also vice-president of the German Football Association. In the last years of his life, Beckenbauer suffered from Parkinson's disease and dementia. The "Kaiser" died on January 7, 2024.
Slaven Bilic (1968) is a former Croatian soccer player who played as a defender. He is best known for playing for English clubs West Ham and Everton. The most successful period in Bilic's coaching career can be considered the work in the Croatian national team, which Slaven led for six years.