Germany World Cup Winner Andreas Brehme Dead at 63

(FILES) Argentina's Diego Maradona (R) fights for the ball with German Andreas Brehme (C) and his teammate Thomas Berthold during the final match of the 1986 Football World Cup Federal Republic of Germany vs. Argentina on June 29, 1986 at Mexico City.  (Photo by AFP)
(FILES) Argentina's Diego Maradona (R) fights for the ball with German Andreas Brehme (C) and his teammate Thomas Berthold during the final match of the 1986 Football World Cup Federal Republic of Germany vs. Argentina on June 29, 1986 at Mexico City. (Photo by AFP)
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Germany World Cup Winner Andreas Brehme Dead at 63

(FILES) Argentina's Diego Maradona (R) fights for the ball with German Andreas Brehme (C) and his teammate Thomas Berthold during the final match of the 1986 Football World Cup Federal Republic of Germany vs. Argentina on June 29, 1986 at Mexico City.  (Photo by AFP)
(FILES) Argentina's Diego Maradona (R) fights for the ball with German Andreas Brehme (C) and his teammate Thomas Berthold during the final match of the 1986 Football World Cup Federal Republic of Germany vs. Argentina on June 29, 1986 at Mexico City. (Photo by AFP)

World Cup winner Andreas Brehme, whose late penalty in the 1990 final against Argentina in Italy handed Germany their third world title, has died at the age of 63, his family said.
The attacking full back and dead-ball specialist became an instant Germany football great when his spot kick earned them a 1-0 victory over Diego Maradona's Argentina in the World Cup final in Rome.
Tributes and condolences poured in from clubs across the Bundesliga and Europe.
"A magnificent player, a great Inter fan. Ciao Andy, forever legend," former club Inter Milan said on social media.
Brehme also played for Bayern Munich and Real Zaragoza among others before retiring in 1998 following his return to Kaiserslautern and lifting the Bundesliga title with them.
He also won the German league title with Bayern Munich while also lifting the Serie A trophy and a UEFA Cup with Inter.
"FCK mourns the passing of Andreas Brehme," Reuters quoted Kaiserslautern as saying. "He wore the Red Devils' shirt for a total of 10 years and became German champion and German Cup winner with FCK."
"In 1990 he fired the German national team to the World Cup title with his penalty and became a football legend. The FCK family is in deep mourning and our thoughts are with Andi's family and friends."
Brehme won 86 caps for Germany, scoring eight goals, including the one he is best remembered for.
"Andreas Brehme will forever be in our hearts, as a World Cup winner and, more importantly, as a very special person. He will forever be part of the FC Bayern family," Bayern Munich said.



‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
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‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)

The Paris Olympics look likely to get off to a soggy start.

Meteo-France, the French weather service, is predicting “flooding rains” Friday evening when the opening ceremony is set to unroll along the Seine River. But the show is set to go on as planned, starting at 1:30 p.m. EDT/7:30 p.m. CEST and should last more than three hours.

Already in the late afternoon, skies were gray with intermittent drizzle. There was a silver lining, though, with temperatures expected to stay relatively warm throughout the evening.

Instead of a traditional march into a stadium, about 6,800 athletes will parade on more than 90 boats on the Seine River for 6 kilometers (3.7 miles). Though 10,700 athletes are expected to compete at these Olympics, hundreds of soccer players are based outside Paris, surfers are in Tahiti and many have yet to arrive for their events in the second week, organizers said Thursday.

Hundreds of thousands of people, including 320,000 paying and invited ticket-holders, are expected to line the Seine’s banks as athletes are paraded along the river on boats.