Soccer says goodbye to Brehme, the great German hero in the Italy 90 World Cup
▲ Andreas Brehme celebrates in front of forward Jüergen Klinsmann after scoring the winning goal on a penalty kick during the final against Argentina, on July 8, 1990 in Rome. Photo AFP
Alberto Aceves
La Jornada Newspaper
Wednesday, February 21, 2024, p. a10
In 1990, the World Cup final at the Olympic stadium in Rome produced a profound silence. A foul in the 85th minute by Roberto Sensini on the German Rudi Völler forced referee Edgardo Codesal, born in Montevideo but naturalized Mexican, to award a penalty against Argentina. Italian television images showed live slight contact by the Santa Fe defender, in his attempt to cut off the play with his right leg. Like the rest of his team, captain Diego Maradona couldn’t believe it. He had to see the play many more times to reach a firm conclusion.
With the particularity of hitting it equally with both legs, Andreas Brehme crossed the ball to the side of goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea and defined Germany’s world title, after falling in Mexico 86. That sequence of frames per second accompanied Brehme, who He played both as a winger and in midfield, until the end of his days. No matter where I am, at an airport or shopping, they always ask me about that game, he said, always smiling. His partner, Susanne Schaefer, reported yesterday in a statement that the mythical hero of the team He died suddenly in Munich after suffering respiratory arrest. He was 63 years old.
He was a player with extraordinary discipline, says Codesal to The Conference upon receiving the news at home. On the court she didn’t feel herself. He didn’t speak to the referee or protest anything at all. He barely knew his voice, but he had fabulous conditions. If you watch the replay of the penalty, you can see that in the space between the post and Goycochea’s hand he could only pass the ball. I assure you that, looking at the shot from the front, it was impressive to see where he threw it. Maybe if he had done it 10 centimeters more towards the center it would have been saved by the goalkeeper, who was also an expert at reading the player’s body language when he took off.
Brehme is the first Italia 90 world champion to say goodbye. A couple of years ago, a television channel in Germany put him in contact with Goycochea to delve into the details of that episode. I knew you were going to throw it to my right, the former penalty saver assured him. What he didn’t know was that the former German national team had received a blow to his left leg, so he thought it was safer to change his profile. Like Gerd Müller did before in the 1974 Cup (2-1 against the Netherlands), he entered football history alongside unforgettable figures such as Lothar Matthaus, Jürgen Klinsmann, Rudi Völler and the player and coach Franz Beckenbauer.
The last one before reunification
That World Cup also had another meaning, since it was the last title of the Federal Republic of Germany before the reunification of the country. Even though he spent a lot of time, Codesal still continues to receive insults from Argentine fans. He’s already lost count of how many times he’s watched replays of Sensini’s foul on TV shows and YouTube channels. South American media are looking for him with the intention of confronting his decision, but the former international prefers not to answer the phone. At 72 years old, he says, there is nothing that can change his opinion.
If he were born again and had to direct the final again, he would make that mistake again, he points out without overthinking his response. Outside the area it is easy to point out an infraction, because there is no greater significance. But believe me I saw it, I’m sure. Knowing that the result of the game was going to change, I thought twice, because there was no more time on the clock. Argentina also had one less man due to the expulsion of Pedro Monzón. But he would mark it again, because that’s what he was there for. From the stands it is very easy to say that it wasn’t, that it was a robbery, but inside it was a criminal offense.
Several former teammates and other personalities paid tribute to the German champion in different areas. Bayern Munich, where he played for two seasons in the mid-1980s, said its players will wear a black armband as a sign of mourning in Saturday’s game against Leipzig.
I can’t believe it. The news saddens me very much, declared Rudi Völler a few hours after the family’s statement. Andi was our World Cup hero, but for me he was much more. He was a legendary friend and companion. I will miss the wonderful way he enjoyed living.
2024-02-21 09:08:21
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