Beckenbauer v Matthäus in New York

Good apple, bad apple, in the Big Apple

The careers of two of the greatest players in German football were inextricably linked through their country's victory at the 1990 World Cup in Italy. The coach was Franz Beckenbauer, his captain was Lothar Matthäus. Beckenbauer himself had lifted the same trophy in 1974. Influential playmakers and versatile team-leaders, they were both champions time and again with Bayern Munich, and boasted multiple team and individual awards. And towards the end of their careers, both players joined clubs in New York.

That's where the parallel lives start to drift apart. Here at the website In Bed With Maradona, as part of their extensive feature on soccer in the Five Boroughs, is my feature on how the Kaiser was a huge hit with the New York Cosmos in the late 1970s, while two decades later Matthäus came to the Big Apple and ended up scoring no goals, and making just as many friends.