Werder Bremen

Lore & Background

Werder have been German champions four times, have won the DFB-Pokal six times, the DFL-Ligapokal once, the DFL-Supercup twice (1988 and 1993), and the European Cup Winners' Cup once. The team's first major trophy was the 1960–61 DFB-Pokal; they last won the cup in 2008–09. Bremen's first German championship came in 1964–65, and their latest in 2003–04, when they won the double. In European football, Werder won the 1991–92 European Cup Winners' Cup, and were runners-up in the 2008–09 UEFA Cup. Bremen have played at the Weserstadion since 1909. The club shares a rivalry with fellow northern German club Hamburger SV, known as the Nordderby. In April 2022, Werder had over 40,000 members.

Reader's Guide

Werder Bremen's history began on 4 February 1899 when FV Werder Bremen was founded by a group of 16-year-old students. The club was one of the founder members of the German Football Association in 1900. After the First World War, the club adopted other sports and took on its current name on 19 January 1920. Werder won their first DFB-Pokal in 1960–61 and their first German championship in 1964–65. Under manager Otto Rehhagel, the club won the Bundesliga in 1987–88 and 1992–93, and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1991–92. In 2003–04, Werder won the double. The team was relegated in 1979–80 and again in 2020–21, but returned to the Bundesliga after one season each time.

Did You Know?

• Werder's name 'Werder' is the German word for 'river peninsula', alluding to the riverside field where they first played.
• The club's first match was a 1–0 win against ASC 1898 Bremen on 10 September 1899.
• Werder became the first club in Bremen to hire a professional coach in 1922, the Hungarian Ferenc Kónya.
• In 1971, a match against Borussia Mönchengladbach was abandoned after a goalpost snapped; the DFB later awarded the win to Werder.
• Werder defeated defending UEFA Cup champions Napoli 8–3 on aggregate in the 1989–90 UEFA Cup, with Diego Maradona playing for Napoli.