Andreas Brehme, a World Cup winner with Germany, has passed away at the age of 63. According to his partner, Susanne Schaefer, the former Germany international died “suddenly and unexpectedly” Tuesday due to a heart attack.
Brehme helped Germany lift the trophy at the 1990 World Cup by scoring the lone goal in the final against Argentina. The fixture was a rematch of the previous tournament, with the South Americans collecting the 1986 title.
With the match set for extra time, the Germans were awarded a penalty kick in the 85th minute. Brehme stepped up and converted the spot kick in front of 73,000 fans to give his home nation the title.
The unfortunate news regarding Brehme comes six weeks after Franz Beckenbauer also passed away. Beckenbauer coached the 1990 Germany national team at the aforementioned World Cup tournament.
Along with featuring for Germany, Andreas Brehme played for several top clubs throughout his playing career. This includes stays with Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. Much like his success at the World Cup, the versatile defender also helped guide these two clubs to league championships as well.
Following the news, Bayern issued a heartfelt statement regarding their former star. “FC Bayern are extremely saddened by the sudden passing of Andreas Brehme,” proclaimed the German club.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends. Andreas Brehme will forever be in our hearts, as a World Cup winner and, more importantly, as a very special person. He will forever be part of the FC Bayern family. Rest in peace, Andi!”
Inter Milan also commented on the unfortunate passing of the former Nerazzurri. “Andreas Brehme, Andy to all. It is truly difficult to simply write about his memory, now that he is no longer with us,” wrote the Italian club.
“Because his connection to Inter, to the Nerazzurri world, the fans, was so solid and everyday that it makes this goodbye much harder. Only a few weeks ago, he was at San Siro to watch his beloved Inter up close, speaking to the Club’s official channels, being embraced by the public that has always adored him.”
Inter is hosting Atletico Madrid in a massive Champions League fixture on Tuesday. The club has announced that their players will wear black armbands during the key matchup to honor Brehme. Club officials have organized a moment of silence before kickoff inside the San Siro.
Along with playing for these top two clubs, Brehme also featured for HSV Barmbek-Uhlenhorst, Saarbrücken, Kaiserslautern, and Real Zaragoza. In total, the German managed to score 87 total goals for club and country. This is quite a feat for a player typically playing in defense.
After retiring from the pitch in 1998, Brehme quickly went into coaching. The World Cup winner initially took charge of his former club Kaiserslautern just two years after hanging up his cleats. Brehme’s final coaching job came with Bundesliga side Stuttgart as an assistant in 2005.
PHOTOS: IMAGO
