Andreas Brehme

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Andreas Brehme
Personal information
Full name Andreas Brehme
Date of birth November 9, 1960 (1960-11-09) (age 47)
Place of birth    Hamburg, West Germany
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position Defender
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1981–1986
1986–1988
1988–1992
1992–1993
1993–1998
1. FC Kaiserslautern
Bayern Munich
Inter Milan
Real Zaragoza
1. FC Kaiserslautern
154 (34)
059 0(7)
116 (11)
024 0(1)
120 0(9)   
National team
1984–1994 Germany 086 0(8)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.
* Appearances (Goals)

Andreas "Andy" Brehme (born November 9, 1960) is a German football coach and former football defender. He is best known for scoring the winning goal for Germany in the 1990 FIFA world cup finals against Argentina on a 85th minute penalty kick.

[edit] Career

Brehme was born in Hamburg and started his career with the local side HSV Barmbeck-Uhlenhorst. He played for 1. FC Kaiserslautern from 1981 to 1986, and again from 1993 to 1998, winning the German Cup in 1996 and the Bundesliga in 1998. He was at Bayern Munich from 1986 to 1988, winning the Bundesliga in 1987. After that, he joined Inter Milan, playing there from 1987 to 1992, and winning the Serie A in 1989 and the UEFA Cup in 1991. Before returning to Germany, Brehme played the 1992/1993 season at Real Zaragoza in La Liga. He is considered to be one of the greatest free-kick takers and crossers of all time.

As a member of the German national team, Brehme participated in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, losing the final to Argentina, yet he won the World Cup in 1990. In the final, a 1-0 victory over Argentina, he scored the decisive goal, a penalty kick. Brehme has the unusual record of not only having scored in two World Cup semi-finals (1986 and 1990) but both goals were free-kicks. Brehme's last caps for the national team came during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which ended with a disappointing quarter-final exit for his team. Brehme's special skill was the fact that he was one of the few players in the world who could play with both feet equally well, making him very valuable as an outfield player. He was well known for taking penalties (although not exclusively) with his right foot and taking free kicks and corners with his left foot.

After the win of the German Championship with Kaiserslautern in 1998, Brehme ended his career as a football player and went on to become a coach. He managed 1. FC Kaiserslautern from 2000 to 2002, when he was dismissed because his team was in danger of being relegated. He then managed 2. Bundesliga SpVgg Unterhaching, but was released from his contract in April 2005, again because the club was in danger of being relegated. He was then assistant coach alongside Giovanni Trapattoni at VfB Stuttgart, but both were sacked after only a few months at the club.

[edit] Honors

  • Bundesliga Champion: 1998
  • German Cup Champion: 1996
  • UEFA European Football Championship Runner-Up: 1992
  • UEFA Cup Champion: 1991
  • World Cup Champion: 1990
  • Italy's Footballer of the Year: 1989
  • Serie A Champion (Italy): 1989
  • Bundesliga Champion: 1987
  • DFB-Supercup Champion 1987
  • World Cup Runner-Up: 1986

[edit] External links