Andreas Brehme

Andreas "Andi" Brehme (; 9 November 1960 – 20 February 2024) was a German professional football player and coach. At international level, he is best known for scoring the winning goal for Germany in the 1990 FIFA World Cup final against Argentina 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 attacking full-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 his crossing ability, ambidexterity, and his accuracy from free-kicks and penalties, possessing a powerful shot.

Club career Andreas Brehme was born in Hamburg and started his career with the city's local side HSV Barmbek-Uhlenhorst.

Brehme played for 1. FC Kaiserslautern from 1981 to 1986, before moving to Bayern Munich, where he played from 1986 to 1988, winning the Bundesliga in 1987. After that, he joined Italian side Inter Milan, playing there from 1988 to 1992, alongside compatriots Lothar Matthäus and Jürgen Klinsmann, and winning the Serie A in 1989 – also being named player of the year – and the UEFA Cup in 1991. before returning to Germany in 1993 to play for Kaiserslautern once again. He won the German 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.

International career As a member of the (West) Germany national team, Brehme took part at UEFA Euro 1984, the 1984 Summer Olympics, the 1986 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 1988, the 1990 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 1992, and the 1994 World Cup; he was named in the team of the tournament at Euro 84, and helped Germany to the semi-finals of Euro 88, on home soil, scoring a goal in the nation's 1–1 opening draw against Italy. At Euro 1992, he won a runners-up medal, as Germany lost out 2–0 to Denmark in the final; he was once again named to the team of the tournament. Brehme won a runners-up medal at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, as Germany lost the final to Argentina, yet he won the World Cup in 1990 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 against France, for the national team came during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which ended with a disappointing quarter-final exit for his team after a loss against Bulgaria.

Managerial career After retiring from football, Brehme went on to become a coach. He managed his former club 1. FC Kaiserslautern from 2000 to 2002. He was then assistant coach alongside Giovanni Trapattoni at VfB Stuttgart, but both were sacked after only a few months at the club. stamina, defensive skills, anticipation, and tactical intelligence,

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. 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.

Career statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Brehme goal.

Coaching record

Honours 1. FC Kaiserslautern Bundesliga: 1997–98 2. Bundesliga: 1996–97 DFB-Pokal: 1995–96 DFL-Supercup: runner-up 1996

Bayern Munich 1992 kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 1985–86 Onze Mondial: 1987, 1990 Guerin d'Oro (Serie A Footballer of the Year): 1989 Pirata d'Oro (Internazionale Player of the Year): 1989 Ballon d'Or – Third place: 1990