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BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – German football mourns the loss of world champion Andreas Brehme. The winning goalscorer from the 1990 World Cup final against Argentina died of a heart attack on Tuesday night. His partner Susanne Schaefer confirmed this to the German Press Agency on behalf of the family; the “Bild” newspaper had previously reported on it. Brehme, who played 86 international matches for the German national team, was only 63 years old.
“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 during this difficult time and refrain from asking questions,” said Schaefer’s message .
Just a few weeks after the death of then team boss Franz Beckenbauer, German football lost another key figure from the national team that won Germany’s third World Cup title in 1990. Brehme was one of the outstanding players at the finals in Italy. In the final in Rome he scored the winning goal to make it 1-0 shortly before the end.
The Hamburg native played in a total of three World Cup finals. In 1986 he was with Germany in the lost final against Argentina. His former teammate Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was “deeply affected and shocked” and recalled their time together in the DFB jersey: “We played the 1986 World Cup together in Mexico, and Andi was a great team player, extremely loyal and reliable. His Joie de vivre was always contagious, and the fact that he had to leave us at the age of 63 makes me very sad.”
He experienced his best time as a club player at Inter Milan together with his national team colleagues Lothar Matthäus and Jürgen Klinsmann, where he became champion (1989) and UEFA Cup winner (1991). The traditional Italian club also expressed its condolences: “A great player, a great Interista. Ciao Andy, forever a legend,” the club wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Inter announced that the team would wear mourning ribbon in this Tuesday’s Champions League game against Atlético Madrid “to commemorate the great German champions”.
After his professional debut with 1. FC Saarbrücken in the 2nd league, Brehme played in the Bundesliga for 1. FC Kaiserslautern and FC Bayern Munich. He also won the German championship with both clubs. “None of us will ever forget Andreas Brehme – because he is more than a 1-0 win in the World Cup final in Rome. We have lost a great person and a loyal friend,” said Bayern’s honorary president Uli Hoeneß. Brehme was also briefly employed by Real Zaragoza.
After his career, the former full-back entered the coaching business, but was unable to build on his success as a player. He coached FCK, SpVgg Unterhaching and was assistant coach at VfB Stuttgart.
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 over my bed. Later he became my boss and I was allowed to work with him. And in the end we became close friends. That’s why I told Franz a lot to be grateful for.”
Brehme was still there at the funeral service in Munich, as was tennis idol Boris Becker. “We just met at Emperor Franz’s funeral! It’s unbelievable how quickly it can be over! My thoughts are with his two sons!” wrote the three-time Wimbledon winner on X./tas/DP/mis