Andreas Brehme

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.

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]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Andreas Brehme.

• Andreas Brehme at fussballdaten.de (in German)
• Andreas Brehme at WorldFootball.net
• Andreas Brehme at National-Football-Teams.com
• FIFA Profile