Andreas Brehme, who lifted West Germany in 1990 World Cup final, dies at 63

Andreas Brehme, who fired West Germany to the 1990 World Cup title with the one purpose in the ultimate towards Diego Maradona’s Argentina, has died. He was 63.

Brehme’s associate Susanne Schaefer confirmed his dying in an announcement to Germany’s dpa information company on Tuesday. Schaefer mentioned Brehme died “suddenly and unexpectedly” in the night time from a cardiac arrest.

“One of Germany’s greatest and best players of all time. German football owes him a lot,” German soccer federation president Bernd Neuendorf mentioned.

Former teammates and others paid tribute to the participant who was identified affectionately as “Andi” Brehme, a star of German soccer in the Nineteen Eighties and Nineties.

“I can’t believe it at all. The news of Andreas’ sudden death makes me incredibly sad,” nationwide teammate Rudi Völler mentioned. “Andi was our World Cup hero, but for me, he was much more. He was my close friend and companion to this day. I will miss his wonderful love of life.”

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge performed with Brehme at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

“Andi was a great team player, very loyal and dependable. His love of life was contagious and it makes me so sad that he had to leave us at 63,” Rummenigge mentioned.

Kaiserslautern, which gained its final Bundesliga title in Brehme’s last season earlier than his retirement in 1998, mentioned it was “deeply saddened” by his surprising dying. Brehme performed for the Red Devils for 10 seasons over two stints. The Bundesliga win got here after promotion as second-division champion and Brehme additionally gained the German Cup with Kaiserslautern in 1996.

The Hamburg-born Brehme, who performed largely as an attacking left again, will all the time be related to West Germany’s 1990 World Cup triumph.

He scored in the semifinal towards England, which West Germany ultimately gained on penalties, and his late penalty determined the ultimate towards Argentina. Winning the title introduced a wave of nationwide celebrations throughout Germany, which was in the method of reunification after the autumn of the Berlin Wall the 12 months earlier than.

Brehme’s title-winning purpose in Rome was celebrated a brief distance away at Inter Milan, the Italian membership he was taking part in for at the time as a part of a formidable German trinity together with nationwide teammates Jürgen Klinsmann and Lothar Matthäus.

As captain, Matthäus would usually have taken West Germany’s penalty in the ultimate, however the No. 10 broke his boots in the primary half and did not really feel assured as his substitute boots had been too huge.

“It was a smart decision to let Andreas Brehme take the penalty,” Matthäus later mentioned.

“Someone has to step up. And for us, it was a case of whoever was feeling confident,” Brehme mentioned in a FIFA interview in 2017. “The main thing is that the penalty goes in and we become world champions.”

Brehme acknowledged the penalty resolution was “dubious” although that did not cease him from tucking away the spot kick towards the beforehand unbeatable Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea in the eighty fifth minute. West Germany had dominated the sport however discovered Goycochea in impressed type.

“That night at the Olimpico, facing up against Sergio Goycochea, a fearsome goalkeeper who had already kept out Donadoni and Aldo Serena at the San Paolo, Brehme opted to take with his right (boot). A placed effort, almost caressed towards goal: he zipped it along the floor, right into the bottom left, unstoppable,” Inter wrote on the club website.

Brehme, who wheeled away and jumped in celebration, had already helped Inter to the Serie A title in 1989. He would go to win the UEFA Cup with the membership two years later.

“A magnificent player, a true Interista. Ciao Andy, forever a legend,” mentioned Inter, which introduced that it will put on black armbands throughout its Champions League match towards Atlético Madrid later Tuesday.

Brehme additionally gained the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in 1987.

“I am incredibly sad about this shocking news,” Bayern honorary president Uli Hoeneß mentioned. “None of us will ever forget Andreas Brehme, because he was more than a goal in the World Cup final in Rome. We’ve lost a great person and a loyal friend.”

Brehme performed 86 worldwide video games for West Germany and unified Germany.

He additionally performed for Real Zaragoza in Spain earlier than rejoining Kaiserslautern for his second stint.

Brehme went into teaching after profitable the Bundesliga with Kaiserslautern, first with the identical membership, which he led to the semifinals of the UEFA Cup in 2001, after which second-division Unterhaching. His final teaching function was at Stuttgart as assistant to educate Giovanni Trapattoni in the 2005-06 season.

Brehme’s dying comes the month after that of his pal Franz Beckenbauer, who coached the World Cup-winning staff in 1990.

“As a young boy I had, like probably every boy in Germany had, a Franz Beckenbauer poster hanging above my bed,” Brehme advised dpa final month. “Later, he became my boss and I could work with him. And in the end we became close friends. So I have a lot to thank Franz for.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.