Brehme was born on November 9, 1960 in Hamburg and began playing football as a child: at the age of 5, he already kicked a ball for the first time in a local team, coached by his father. Technically, he was an ambidextrous full-back – which was rare at the time – very quick on the flank, but his natural foot was the left and his main characteristic was determination on the pitch.
Arriving at Inter in 1988, he participated in Giovanni Trapattoni's record Scudetto victory during the 1988-89 season. He also won the 1990-91 UEFA Cup in Milan.
