The word ‘legend’ is ritually overused – but in the case of Franz Beckenbauer, it can’t be used often enough. Even so, there’s an enigmatic air to the suave German’s status outside his homeland, so Uli Hesse has put that right with a splendid biography. 

Those who have read Tor! and Building the Yellow Wall by the same author will anticipate an entertaining and informative account of the life of Herr Beckenbauer. The Three Lives of the Kaiser doesn’t disappoint on that score, examining the key stages of the Bavarian’s colourful time on Earth: the multi-talented player who made everything appear easy; the coach who coaxed greatness out of reportedly average squads; and the elder statesman controlling affairs from directors’ boxes and high-stakes boardrooms. 

Hesse describes a boy who was small for his age (he was nicknamed Stumpy) but fought to convince his father, Franz senior, that football wasn’t a waste of time. And he would go on to prove that emphatically, single-handedly redefining the sweeper/libero role in the process. The focus on his days on the turf is bright and breezy, depicting someone who could shake off any obstacle with zero fuss. Whether wearing the Bayern München shirt, leading his country or representing the Old Continent in American soccer, the unflappable, handsome star was the closest football has come to a version of 007.