Social Climbing, Cultural Experimentation and Trailblazing Metrosexual: Franz Beckenbauer in the 1960s and 1970s

Abstract

Franz Beckenbauer is perhaps the greatest individualist in the history of German football. This character trait combined with a willingness to make necessary decisions and take opportunities when they present themselves ensured that life brought him more than most of his contemporaries: outstanding success as an athlete and coach, great wealth, the adulation of the public and membership in an international elite of sportspeople. This chapter argues that despite his uniquely elevated position, Beckenbauer can serve as an example of broader trends in football and popular culture. His career as a player and football celebrity after the end of his playing days is a good reflection of social and cultural developments from the 1960s onward in Germany and beyond.