Andreas Brehme

Andreas "Andy" Brehme ([anˈdʀeːas ˈbʀeːmə]; born 9 November 1960) is a German football coach and former football defender. At international level, he is best known for scoring the winning goal for Germany in the 1990 FIFA World Cup Final against Argentina from an 85th-minute penalty kick. At club level, he played for several teams in Germany, and also had spells in Italy and Spain.

Andreas Brehme
Brehme in 2008
Personal information
Full name Andreas Brehme
Date of birth (1960-11-09) 9 November 1960
Place of birth Hamburg, West Germany
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Left back / Left wing-back / Left midfielder
Youth career
1965–1978 HSV Barmbek-Uhlenhorst
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1978–1980 HSV Barmbek-Uhlenhorst 66 (10)
1980–1981 1. FC Saarbrücken 36 (3)
1981–1986 1. FC Kaiserslautern 154 (34)
1986–1988 Bayern Munich 59 (7)
1988–1992 Inter Milan 116 (11)
1992–1993 Zaragoza 24 (1)
1993–1998 1. FC Kaiserslautern 120 (9)
Total 509 (65)
National team
1980–1981 West Germany U-21 3 (0)
1981–1984 West Germany Olympic 10 (2)
1984–1994 Germany 86 (8)
Teams managed
2000–2002 1. FC Kaiserslautern
2004–2005 SpVgg Unterhaching
2005–2006 VfB Stuttgart (assistant)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

A versatile attacking full back with an eye for goal, Brehme was capable of playing anywhere along the flank on either side of the pitch, and was known for his crossing ability, ambidexterity, and his accuracy from free-kicks and penalties, possessing a powerful shot.

Playing career

Club

Brehme was born in Hamburg and started his career with the city's local side HSV Barmbek-Uhlenhorst.

He played for 1. FC Kaiserslautern from 1981 to 1986, before moving to Bayern Munich, where he played from 1986 to 1988, winning the Bundesliga in 1987. After that, he joined Italian side Inter Milan, playing there from 1988 to 1992, alongside compatriots Lothar Matthäus and Jürgen Klinsmann, and winning the Serie A in 1989 – also being named player of the year – and the UEFA Cup in 1991.[1][2][3][4] Brehme played the 1992–93 season at Real Zaragoza in La Liga, before returning to Germany once again in 1993 to play for Kaiserslautern once again. He won the German Cup with the club in 1996, although they suffered relegation during the same season; nevertheless, Brehme remained with the team as they were demoted, playing a key role in the side's immediate promotion the following season. After subsequently winning the German Championship with the club in 1998, Brehme ended his playing career as a footballer after having played 301 Bundesliga matches.[1][5]

International

As a member of the (West) German national team, Brehme took part at UEFA Euro 1984, the 1984 Summer Olympics, the 1986 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 1988, the 1990 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 1992, and the 1994 World Cup; he was named to the team of tournament at Euro 84,[6] and helped Germany to the semi-finals of Euro 88, on home soil, scoring a goal in the nation's 1–1 opening draw against Italy.[4][7] At Euro 1992, he won a runners-up medal, as Germany lost out 2–0 to Denmark in the final; he was once again named to the team of the tournament.[8] Brehme won a runners-up medal at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, as Germany lost the final to Argentina, yet he won the World Cup in 1990 against the same opponents, later being named to the competition's All-star team. In the 1986 World Cup semi-final he scored a deflected free-kick against France,[1] and in the 1990 semi-final he also scored a free-kick goal against England, which also took a deflection off of English defender Paul Parker, however.[9][10] In the 1990 edition of the tournament, en route to the final, he also previously set up Klinsmann's headed goal in Germany's opening 4–1 against Yugoslavia, and scored the second goal against the Dutch side with a right-footed curler in the second round.[9] In the 1990 World Cup final, a 1–0 victory over Argentina, he scored the decisive goal, a penalty kick with his right foot.[1][3][11] The only other penalty kick, taken in open play for Germany, was against England in a 1986 World Cup warm-up match in Mexico. Brehme missed his spot-kick, however, with Peter Shilton saving his shot.[12] Brehme scored in the victorious penalty-shootout against Mexico in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals with his left foot,[1][11] while he scored his nation's first spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out victory against England in the 1990 World Cup semi-finals with his right foot.[10] Brehme's last of his 86 caps[13] for the national team came during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which ended with a disappointing quarter-final exit for his team.

Managerial career

After retiring from football, Brehme went on to become a coach. He managed his former club 1. FC Kaiserslautern from 2000 to 2002, when he was dismissed because his team was in danger of being relegated. This was seen as a case of déjà vu, as he was part of the team that was relegated in 1996, but stuck with the team and was a key figure in their immediate promotion and title win the following year. He then managed 2. Bundesliga side 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.

Style of play

Though more often a defender, Brehme showed an exceptional knack for getting forward and finding the back of the net throughout his career, possessing an extremely powerful and accurate shot with either foot; his eye for goal is demonstrated by the fact that he scored at every club he played for, as well as the German national side.

An efficient attacking full-back or wing-back, Brehme was regarded as one of the best left-backs of his generation; although he was usually deployed on the left side of his team's defensive line, he was a highly versatile player, who was capable of playing anywhere along the flank, on either side of the pitch, and could also play in a more offensive role, as a winger. He was even used in the centre of the pitch on occasion, as a defensive midfielder.[1][4][14][15][9] Although he was not particularly quick,[3][9] he was known for his excellent technical ability,[2] stamina, defensive skills,[9] anticipation, and tactical intelligence,[3] as well as his ability to make attacking runs, which enabled him to cover the flank effectively and contribute at both ends of the pitch.[9][16]

A set-piece specialist, Brehme is considered to be one of the greatest free-kick takers and crossers of all time, and was known for his ability to strike the ball with power and swerve.[1][9][10][15] However, Brehme's most distinctive skill was the fact that he was one of the few players in the world who was genuinely ambidextrous, and could play with both feet equally well, making him very valuable as an outfield player; his ability with either foot led his national team manager Franz Beckenbauer to state: "I have known Andy for 20 years and I still don't know if he is right or left-footed".[1][3][11] He was well known for taking penalties (although not exclusively) with his right foot and taking free kicks and corners with his left foot; this made him quite an unpredictable player to read during matches.[1][11] Although he was reportedly naturally left-footed, it is believed that Brehme felt that his right foot was actually more accurate than his left, but that he had a more powerful shot with his "weaker" left foot.[3][11] This was shown when, in the 1990 World Cup final, Brehme took the spot kick that won West Germany the trophy, with his right foot,[3][11] but four years earlier, Brehme scored in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final penalty shootout against Mexico with a left foot piledriver.[1][11] In addition to his abilities as a footballer, Brehme was also highly regarded for his strength of character and composure under pressure, as well as for having the tendency to score "clutch" goals for his team in important games, as demonstrated by his ability to score decisive penalties in World Cup knockout matches, which led him to be considered a "big game player" in the media.[1][4]

Although he was known to be tenacious player, he also stood out for his professionalism throughout his career, both on and off the pitch.[1][4] Matthäus described Brehme as the best player he played with.[3]

Career statistics

Club
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
SeasonClubLeague AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
Germany League DFB-Pokal Other Europe Total
1980–811. FC Saarbrücken2. Bundesliga363
1981–821. FC KaiserslauternBundesliga274
1982–83303
1983–84338
1984–853311
1985–86318
1986–87Bayern Munich314
1987–88283
Italy League Coppa Italia League Cup Europe Total
1988–89Inter MilanSerie A31370--60443
1989–9032640--20386
1990–9123141--90362
1991–9230140--20361
Spain League Copa del Rey Supercopa de España Europe Total
1992–93Real ZaragozaLa Liga24121--52314
Germany League DFB-Pokal Other Europe Total
1993–941. FC KaiserslauternBundesliga263
1994–95274
1995–96302
1996–972. Bundesliga320
1997–98Bundesliga50
Total Germany 36953
Italy 11611
Spain 241
Career total 50965

International
Germany national team
YearAppsGoals
1984111
198591
198681
198750
198891
198950
1990134
199160
199280
199330
199490
Total868

International goals

Honours

Club
Kaiserslautern[17]
Bayern Munich[17]
Inter Milan[17]
Real Zaragoza[17]

International
Germany[17]

Individual

References
  1. "Brehme, the big-game performer". FIFA. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  2. GIANNI MURA (30 May 1989). "7,5 A BERTI (ESCLUSO IL LOOK)". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  3. James Dampney (17 August 2015). "Lothar Matthäus: Maradona, Beckenbauer and the Premier League". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  4. GIANNI MURA (3 December 1988). "NOI TEDESCHI UOMINI DURI". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  5. Arnhold, Matthias (16 July 2015). "Andreas Brehme – Matches and Goals in Bundesliga". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  6. "1984 team of the tournament". Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  7. "Brehme salvages precious point against Italy". UEFA. 5 October 2003. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  8. "Gatecrashing Denmark down Germany". UEFA. 5 October 2003. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  9. Jonathan Wilson (25 May 2010). "Top 10: Players of Italia '90". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  10. "Italia 90: When England were out of this world". The Independent. 29 May 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  11. Adam Hurrey (20 June 2015). "Double trouble: why aren't there more two-footed footballers?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  12. "1985 (June 12) England 3-West Germany 0 (Azteca 2000)". 16 June 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2011 – via YouTube.
  13. Arnhold, Matthias (16 July 2015). "Andreas Brehme – Goals in International Matches". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  14. GIANNI PIVA (1 July 1990). "BIONDO BREHME, CHE CAPOLAVORO". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  15. Antonino Morici (20 November 2005). "Quando il calcio esalta la potenza". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  16. LUIGI PASTORE (7 October 2001). "L' orgoglio di Ferri 'È un' Inter solida'". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  17. "Brehme, l'homme des moments décisifs". FIFA. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  18. Courtney, Barrie (14 August 2004). "European Championships – UEFA Teams of Tournament". RSSSF. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  19. "Bundesliga Historie 1985/86" (in German). kicker.
  20. Pierrend, José Luis; Di Maggio, Roberto (16 February 2014). "Italy – Footballer of the Year". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  21. Inter.it staff, inter(a t)inter.it (17 November 2006). "F.C. Internazionale Milano". Inter.it. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  22. Pierrend, José Luis (26 March 2005). "European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or") 1990". RSSSF. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
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