German World Cup hero Andreas Brehme dies at 63

Schaefer said Brehme had died "suddenly and unexpectedly" in the night from a cardiac arrest. Brehme's former clubs Bayern Munich and Kaiserslautern both issued statements of condolence.

Brehme, who played mostly as an attacking left back, was a star of German soccer in the 1980s and 1990s and was crucial to the 1990 World Cup win.

He scored in the semi-final game against England, who West Germany eventually beat on penalties, and his 85th-minute penalty decided the final in Rome against Argentina.

Winning the World Cup brought a wave of national celebrations across Germany, which was in the process of reunification after the fall of the Berlin Wall the year before.

At club level, Brehme won the German title twice, once with Bayern Munich in 1987 and once in Kaiserslautern's improbable run to the championship in 1998, in their first season since promotion.

He also won the Italian Serie A with Inter Milan in 1989.