Brehme had lots of quality and the responsibility often fell on him to direct the play, adopting a number of roles. Helped by his strong character and typically German composure, he never waivered in crucial moments. It was him who scored the decisive penalty that saw Germany lift the trophy at Italia ’90 and he finished third in the table for the Ballon d’Or in the same year and he was a precursor to the modern concept of a full-back. In 1992, he left Inter with a league title, a Supercoppa and a UEFA Cup but a riddle left unsolved, that of his two equal feet.
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The Coach sensed that it was on the left flank where he could best express himself and he wasn’t wrong. He was repaid with unstoppable bursts down the wing, vicious crosses and goals too. Brehme used both his feet well and it’s hard to say what his preferred foot was. He did everything to avoid leaving any clues. He took penalties with his right foot and his left. Just when you thought that you’d solved the puzzle, he’d switch to the other. Like during the match against Pisa on the second day of the 1988-89 season. He levelled with a volley from outside the box which zipped past the goalkeeper. Some doubts remained but it hardly mattered. The result was what counted.
Andreas Brehme arrived in Milan on his tiptoes without much expectation. The German with thick blonde hair could use both feet equally comfortably and he was destined to make everyone believe in him again, leaving even the most sceptical of fans with their jaws gaping. Brehme was signed by Inter in 1988 from Bayern Munich alongside another German who didn’t turn out too badly in Lothar Matthäus. Together with Klinsmann, they formed the German core of the side and carried a deadly Inter side to break records under Trapattoni, for whom a lot would be owed to Brehme.
