Werder Bremen
The River Peninsula Club – Four-time German champions and European Cup Winners' Cup holders.
Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V., commonly known as Werder Bremen, Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, Werder are best known for their professional association football team, who compete in the Bundesliga. Bremen share the record for most seasons played in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, and are ranked third in the all-time Bundesliga table, only behind Bayern and Borussia Dortmund. Werder have been German champions four times, have won the DFB-Pokal six times, the DFL-Ligapokal once, the DFL-Supercup thrice, and the European Cup Winners' Cup once.
- Rivalry Type
- Bundesliga Competitive Fixture
- Werder Bremen Titles
- 4 Bundesliga Championships
- Leverkusen Major Cup
- DFB-Pokal Winner (1993)
- Geographic Distance
- High (North vs West Germany)
- Peak Intensity Era
- Late 1990s to Early 2000s
Lore & Background
The club was founded on 4 February 1899 by a group of 16-year-old students who had won a football in a tug of war tournament. The name 'Werder' alludes to the riverside field on which the team first played. Werder won their first match 1–0 on 10 September 1899 against ASC 1898 Bremen. In 1900, the club was a founder member of the German Football Association. Notable players in the club's history include Mario Basler, Marco Bode, Rune Bratseth, Andreas Herzog, Karl-Heinz Riedle, Wynton Rufer, and Rudi Völler.
In Their Own Story
The rain fell hard on the Weserstadion pitch as the Leverkusen bus pulled away from the hotel. Inside, the players checked their boots, knowing Bremen fans would be roaring like the tide against them. It wasn't about hate; it was about proving that the Red and Whites belonged at the summit of German football alongside the Green-Whites.
Reader's Guide
Werder Bremen play at the Weserstadion, which they have used 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.
Did You Know?
- Werder's first major trophy was the 1960–61 DFB-Pokal.
- The club won the double in 2003–04, their latest German championship.
- Werder won the 1991–92 European Cup Winners' Cup, defeating AS Monaco 2–0 in the final.
- The team's nickname 'Texas 11' came from a cigarette brand at the Brinkmann tobacco factory where several players worked.
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