Soccer world champion Andreas Brehme has died at the age of 63, as his partner Susanne Schaefer confirmed to the German Press Agency on Tuesday on behalf of his family. FC Bayern also confirmed the death. Brehme scored the winning goal with a penalty in the 1990 World Cup final against Argentina to make it 1-0. The “Bild” newspaper first reported on Brehme’s death.
“It is with deep sadness that I announce on behalf of the family that my partner Andreas Brehme died suddenly and unexpectedly tonight as a result of a cardiac arrest. We ask that you respect our privacy and refrain from asking questions during this difficult time,” Schaefer’s message said. This means that German football is losing another key figure from the national team just a few weeks after the death of then team boss Franz Beckenbauer.
The Hamburg native began his career in the second Bundesliga at 1. FC Saarbrücken. He then played for 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Real Zaragoza and Kaiserslautern again. In 1998 he ended his career there with the championship title as a promoted team. In 2000 he became a coach at FCK, later he was in Unterhaching and co-coach in Stuttgart.
Tears after relegation in the TV studio
The full-back, who impressed with his two-footed ability, played 86 international matches for Germany. He scored a penalty goal with his left foot in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against Mexico and converted the penalty in the 1990 World Cup final in Rome with his right foot flat into the left corner. In 1986 he came second at the World Cup and in 1992 he lost the European Championship final with Germany.
Brehme also won several titles at club level. With FC Bayern he became German champion in 1987, with Inter Milan they won the title in Italy in 1989, and he also won the UEFA Cup with his club in 1991. At the end of his career, he achieved the sensational championship title with Kaiserslautern in 1998, after winning the DFB Cup in 1996 had become. Shortly before, he had been relegated from the Bundesliga with FCK. Brehme’s tears on his friend Rudi Völler’s shoulder in the television studio are unforgettable.
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In January, Brehme had touching words about the death of the legend Beckenbauer. “I think in heaven he will create a magic triangle with Pelé and Maradona,” he said. “As a little boy, like probably every boy in Germany, I had a Franz Beckenbauer poster hanging above my bed. Later he became my boss and I was allowed to work with him. And we ended up becoming close friends. That’s why I have a lot to thank Franz for.”
“FC Bayern is deeply shocked by the sudden death of Andreas Brehme. The German record champion is united in mourning with his relatives and friends. We will always keep Andreas Brehme in our hearts. As a world champion and even more as a very special person,” Bayern said: “He will always be a part of the FC Bayern family. Rest in peace, dear Andi!”
“The FCK mourns the loss of Andreas Brehme,” wrote the Palatinate team. “He wore the Red Devils jersey for a total of ten years and became German champion and cup winner with FCK. In 1990 he shot the German national team to the World Cup title with his penalty and finally became a football legend.” The club also posted pictures of Brehme showing him as a player and coach at FCK.
The Hamburg native left a big mark abroad, especially in Italy. “A great player, a great Interista. Ciao Andy, forever a legend,” wrote Inter Milan, where Brehme played alongside his national team colleagues Lothar Matthäus and Jürgen Klinsmann.
“A young Hamburger and World Cup hero has left us,” wrote Hamburger SV, where Brehme once took part in a trial training session but was never under contract. “We express our condolences and sympathy to the family, relatives and friends. May Andi rest in peace!”
