Germany has lost a World Cup winner. Andreas 'Andi' Brehme, who scored the winning goal in the 1990 World Cup against Argentina, has passed away aged 63.
German football is in mourning after Andreas Brehme's passing. The 63-year-old died of a cardiac arrest on Monday night, Brehme's partner Susanne Schaefer confirmed to dpa on Tuesday.
"It is with huge sadness that I can confirm in the name of the family that my partner Andreas Brehme died suddenly and unexpectedly of a cardiac arrest last night. We ask at this difficult time to respect our privacy and to refrain from asking questions," Schaefer said in a statement.
According to Bild, Brehme was brought to a clinic near his apartment in Munich but help came too late.
German FA (DFB) President Bernd Neuendorf said he was "deeply saddened", calling Brehme one of Germany's greatest ever players. Former Germany teammate Guido Buchwald told SID he was so shocked by the news that he could hardly think straight.
"In Franz [Beckenbauer] and Andi [Andreas Brehme] we've recently lost two people to whom we owe so much."
Kaiserslautern legend
Brehme was one of the most highly regarded German footballers in the 1980s and 90s, and made history in Rome in 1990 when his penalty won a Germany team coached by Franz Beckenbauer the World Cup against Argentina.
Brehme was born in Hamburg and began his professional career with Saarbrücken in 1980 before he moved to Kaiserslautern. It was here where the wingback turned into a star and would eventually become a club legend. The man with a rocket for a shot later joined Bayern Munich for a then record sum of two million Deutsch Marks (€1 million).
After just two years, he left to join Inter Milan. With the Italian side he was named Italian footballer of the year in 1989 and won the 1991 UEFA Cup.
After a year in Spain at Real Zaragoza, he returned to Kaiserslautern and nearly retired in 1996, but stayed on to lead the side to promotion. The following year he was part of the club's sensational Bundesliga triumph and he retired afterwards, having played over 300 games for the club.
UEFA Cup winner
Brehme was capped 86 times for Germany, with five of his eight international goals coming at either World Cups or European Championships. Brehme was known for being good with both feet, as was evident by the fact his penalty in the 1990 World Cup final was shot with his right foot even though in the quarterfinal of the 1986 he had scored with his left against Mexico.
After his playing career, Brehme completed some coaching badges but had little success at both Kaiserslautern and Unterhaching, or even Stuttgart where he was assistant coach to Giovanni Trapattoni. He has not been coaching since 2006 and was most recently seen at Franz Beckenbauer's memorial service last month.
He is survived by his partner as well as two sons from a previous relationship.
Source: Dw
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