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#3 Lothar Matthaus
Lothar Matthaus has made waves as a football pundit since his retirement, but it is impossible to forget his impact as a player.
A midfielder who began his professional career with Borussia Monchengladbach, Matthaus made appearances for some of the biggest clubs in the world, including two spells with Bayern Munich and a stint with Inter Milan. A box-to-box midfielder with an excellent goalscoring record, Matthaus made 150 appearances in all competitions and scored 69 goals in his first spell with Bayern Munich.
In the latter stages of his career, Matthaus was often utilized as a sweeper. For Germany, he made 150 appearances and was part of the side that won the Euros in 1980 and the FIFA World Cup in 1990. Matthaus retired in 2000 and enjoyed managerial spells with countries like Hungary and Bulgaria.
#2 Gerd Muller
Gerd Muller's phenomenal goalscoring record speaks for itself. One of the best strikers the world has seen, the German was renowned for his finishing and acceleration.
Muller spent much of his playing career with Bayern Munich, where he made 605 appearances in all competitions and scored 563 goals. For the national side he scored 68 goals in just 62 appearances, and won the Euros in 1972 and the World Cup in 1974.
The striker won the Ballon d'Or in 1970 for his performances. Muller held the title for the most goals scored in a single Bundesliga season with 40, but that record was recently broken by Bayern Munich superstar Robert Lewandowski.
#1 Franz Beckenbauer
"Der Kaiser" was an elegant centre-back who is regarded by many as the greatest German player of all time.
Franz Beckenbauer spent much of his playing career representing Bayern Munich, where he made 584 appearances in all competitions and scored 75 goals. A midfielder who made his name as a sweeper, Beckenbauer was a dominant force in that position.
With the national team he won the Euros in 1972 and the FIFA World Cup in 1974. He was awarded the Ballon d'Or twice (1972 and 1976). Beckenbauer retired in 1983 and embarked on a managerial career. The 75-year-old managed Bayern Munich twice and also took charge of Marseille for a short while.
Also Read: 10 most valuable players in the world - June 2021
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