Andreas "Andi" Brehme (German pronunciation:[anˈdʁeːasˈʔandiːˈbʁeːmə];[2][3] 9 November 1960 – 20 February 2024) was a German professionalfootball player and coach. At international level, he is best known for scoring the winning goal for Germany in the1990 FIFA World Cup final againstArgentina from an 85th-minute penalty kick. At club level, Brehme played for several teams in Germany and also had spells in Italy and Spain.
A versatile attackingfull-back with an eye for goal, Brehme was capable of playing anywhere along the flank on either side of the pitch, and was known for hiscrossing ability, ambidexterity, and his accuracy fromfree-kicks andpenalties, possessing a powerful shot.
Brehme played for1. FC Kaiserslautern from 1981 to 1986, before moving toBayern Munich, where he played from 1986 to 1988, winning theBundesliga in 1987. After that, he joined Italian sideInter Milan, playing there from 1988 to 1992, alongside compatriotsLothar Matthäus andJürgen Klinsmann, and winning theSerie A in 1989 – also being named player of the year – and theUEFA Cup in 1991.[6][7][8][9] Brehme played the 1992–93 season atReal Zaragoza inLa Liga,[10] before returning to Germany once again in 1993 to play for Kaiserslautern once again.[11] He won theGerman Cup with the club in 1996, although they suffered relegation during the same season; nevertheless, Brehme remained with the team even when they were relegated, playing a key role in the side's immediate promotion the following season. After subsequently winning the Bundesliga with the club in 1998, Brehme ended his playing career as a footballer after having played 301 matches.[6][12]
As a member of the(West) Germany national team, Brehme took part atUEFA Euro 1984, the1984 Summer Olympics, the1986 FIFA World Cup,UEFA Euro 1988, the1990 FIFA World Cup,UEFA Euro 1992, and the1994 World Cup; he was named in the team of the tournament at Euro 84,[13] and helped Germany to the semi-finals of Euro 88, on home soil, scoring a goal in the nation's 1–1 opening draw againstItaly.[9][14] At Euro 1992, he won a runners-up medal, as Germany lost out 2–0 toDenmark in thefinal; he was once again named to the team of the tournament.[15] Brehme won a runners-up medal at the1986 FIFA World Cup, as Germany lost thefinal toArgentina, yet he won theWorld Cup in1990 against the same opponents, later being named to the competition's All-star team. In the 1986 World Cup semi-final he scored a deflected free-kick againstFrance,[6] and in the 1990 semi-final he also scored a free-kick goal againstEngland, which also took a deflection off of English defenderPaul Parker, however.[16][17] In the 1990 edition of the tournament, en route to the final, he also previously set up Klinsmann's headed goal in Germany's opening 4–1 againstYugoslavia, and scored the second goal against theNetherlands with a right-footedcurler in the second round.[16] In the 1990 World Cup final, a 1–0 victory over Argentina, he scored the goal, a penalty kick with his right foot.[6][8][18] The only other penalty kick, taken in open play for Germany, was against England in a 1986 World Cup warm-up match in Mexico. Brehme scored in the victorious penalty-shootout againstMexico in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals with his left foot,[6][18] while he scored his nation's first spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out victory against England in the 1990 World Cup semi-finals with his right foot.[17] Brehme's last of his 86 caps[19] for the national team came during the1994 FIFA World Cup, which ended with a disappointing quarter-final exit for his team after a loss against Bulgaria.
After retiring from football, Brehme went on to become a coach. He managed his former club 1. FC Kaiserslautern from 2000 to 2002.[11] He then managed2. Bundesliga sideSpVgg Unterhaching.[20] He was then assistant coach alongsideGiovanni Trapattoni atVfB Stuttgart, but both were sacked after only a few months at the club.[20]
An efficient attackingfull-back orwing-back, Brehme was regarded as one of the best left-backs of his generation; although he was usually deployed on the left side of his team's defensive line, he was a highly versatile player, who was capable of playing anywhere along the flank, on either side of the pitch, and could also play in a more offensive role. He was also used in the centre of the pitch on occasion, as adefensive midfielder.[6][9][21][22][16] Although he was not particularly quick,[8][16] he was known for his excellent technical ability,[7] stamina, defensive skills,[16] anticipation, and tactical intelligence,[8] as well as his ability to make attacking runs, which enabled him to cover the flank effectively and contribute at both ends of the pitch.[16][23]
A set-piece specialist, Brehme is considered to be one of the greatest free-kick takers and crossers of all time, and was known for his ability to strike the ball with power and swerve.[6][16][17][22] However, Brehme's most distinctive skill was that he was one of the few players in the world who was genuinelyambidextrous, and could play with both feet equally well, making him very valuable as an outfield player; his ability with either foot led his national team managerFranz Beckenbauer to state: "I have known Andy for 20 years and I still don't know if he is right or left-footed".[6][8][18] He was well known for taking penalties (although not exclusively) with his right foot and taking free kicks and corners with his left foot; this made him quite an unpredictable player to read during matches.[6][18] Although he was reportedly naturally left-footed, it is believed that Brehme felt that his right foot was actually more accurate than his left, but that he had a more powerful shot with his "weaker" left foot.[8][18] This was shown when, in the 1990 World Cup final, Brehme took the spot kick that won West Germany the trophy, with his right foot,[8][18] but four years earlier, Brehme scored in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final penalty shootout against Mexico with a left foot piledriver.[6][18] In addition to his abilities as a footballer, Brehme was highly regarded for his strength of character and composure under pressure, as well as for having the tendency to score "clutch" goals for his team in important games, as demonstrated by his ability to score decisive penalties in World Cup knockout matches, which led him to be considered a "big game player" in the media.[6][9]
Although he was known to be tenacious player, he also stood out for his professionalism throughout his career, both on and off the pitch.[6][9] Lothar Matthäus described Brehme as the best player he played with.[8]
^Inter.it staff, inter(a t)inter.it (17 November 2006)."F.C. Internazionale Milano". Inter.it. Archived fromthe original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved14 October 2017.
