Franz Beckenbauer
Joined Bayern As A Teen
Beckenbauer was born in war-torn Munich in 1945, and joined with the youth team at Bayern Munich at age 14. Within three years, he surrendered his job as an insurance salesman trainee to pursue professional soccer. His arrival at the parent Bayern Munich club coincided with its ascension into the German elite league. The Bundesliga-Bayern had not been admitted when the Bundesliga (German soccer league) was formed in 1963. Beckenbauer started at the outside left forward position, but soon moved to midfield, and his play helped spark the West Germans to a 2-1 qualifying victory in the 1966 World Cup over Sweden.
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Famous Sports StarsSoccerFranz Beckenbauer Biography - Joined Bayern As A Teen, First World Cup Final, On Top Of The World, Across The Atlantic