The German World Cup winner, footballer Andreas Brehme, has died. I feel compelled to mention the time that I met him.
It was July 1994, and I was spending the summer interning in the (then) UAHC Education Department at 838 5th Avenue, NY. At that time I was still a naughty smoker, and would pop out at lunchtime for a quick ciggie in the park.
I was on my way back to the office, when I was passed by a gentleman who reminded me of Asterix the Gaul.
I realised that Andi Brehme was walking down 5th Avenue. Germany had just gone out of the World Cup to Bulgaria, and he was taking in the sights. I increased my pace to try and catch up, with no idea what or if I would say anything. I caught up with him just before the main door of 838. I tapped him on the shoulder, smiled, and said, "Schade Andi, aber gut gespielt!", then turned into the building. As I turned I could see his furrowed brow, trying to figure out how a woman had spoken to him about football in perfect German on a NY street and then disappeared through a door under a gigantic stone Biblical quotation.
It was sad to hear of his death. He was really quite young. Here is a link if you'd like to know more about his career: BBC Sport.
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