Werder Bremen

Werder Bremen is a German football club playing in Bremen, Bremen. The club was founded in 1899 as FV Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize of sports equipment to set them on their way. They took their name from the seldom used regional German word for "river island", describing the riverside field they first played football in.

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History

The club enjoyed some early success, fielding competitive sides and winning a number of local championships. They were the first club to charge spectators a fee to attend their games, and to fence in their playing field. Steady growth after World War I led the club to adopt other sports and, in 1920, change their name to the current SV Werder Bremen. Football remained their primary interest, so much so that in 1922, they became the first German club to hire a professional coach. Werder remained competitive through the 30's and 40's in the country's Oberligen and Gauligen, the highest levels of play at the time.

Like other organizations throughout Germany, the club was disbanded on the order of the occupying Allied forces after World War II. They re-constituted themselves in late 1945 as Gymnastics and Sport Club Werder of 1945, which was quickly changed to Sport Club Green White of 1899. They were able to reclaim the name SV Werder in early 1946. At the time, professionals were not permitted to play in the German game, so it was normal for football players to take on other jobs, often with the club's local patron. In the case of Werder, a number of the players worked at the nearby Brinkmann tobacco factory, and so the side took on the nickname Texas 11 after one of the company's popular cigarette brands.

Between the end of the war and the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963 the club continued to do well, being recognized as the number two team in the north behind Hamburger SV. In 1961 they managed their first German Cup win. Their performance was good enough to earn them a place as a charter member of the Bundesliga, and in the league's second season Werder took the championship. They earned a second-place finish in the 1967-68, but then languished in the bottom half of the table for a dozen years. An attempt to improve their lot by signing high-priced talent earned the side the new, derisive nickname of the Millionaires and turned out to be an expensive failure. The club dropped out of the Bundesliga for the first and only time, being relegated to the 2.Bundesliga-Nord for the 1980-81 season after a 17th place finish.

Werder recovered themselves under the direction of newly hired coach Otto Rehhagel, who led the side to a string of successes: Bundesliga runners-up in 1983 and 1986, champions in 1988; appearances in the final of the German Cup in 1989 and 1990 with a win there in 1991; followed by victory in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1992. In 1993, the club earned its third Bundesliga title and, in the following year, its third German Cup. Rehhagel left the club in June of 1995 after this impressive run for a short-lived turn as coach of Bayern München.

The impact of Rehhagel's departure was felt immediately, but the side still delivered credible performances, generally being able to maintain its now familiar place in the top half of the table. They played against Munich in the German Cup final in 1999 and 2000, coming away as winners in the first appearance. In 2004, they managed to take both the Bundesliga championship and the German Cup – one of only four German sides to make the Double. Therefore, they played in the UEFA Champions League in 2004-2005. They came through to the round of the last 8 but went out because of a 10-2 aggregate defeat by Olympique Lyon.

At the end of the 2004-05 season, Werder qualified for the 2005-06 Champions League by finishing third in the Bundesliga – a remarkable feat, given a difficult injury-prone season. They have since gone on in the competition and faced Juventus in the Round of 16. The aggregate score was 4:4 but Juventus moved on to the next round thanks to the away goal rule. They also went out of the DFB-Pokal after a controversial 3-1 loss against FC St. Pauli.

Club Culture

Werder Bremen has a long-running friendship with Rot-Weiss Essen, who currently play in the Regionalliga Nord (III). They hold a long-term enmity for Bayern Munich, and have developed a recent, but intense, feud with FC Schalke 04, whose title-hungry manager Rudi Assauer, has lured away several of Werder's top players (including Ailton, Mladen Krstajic, Frank Rost, Oliver Reck, and Fabian Ernst) with lucrative contracts.

The side prides itself on being one of the few coastal cities in the Bundesliga – currently the only other is Hamburger SV: the toot of a ship's whistle celebrates every Werder goal. This regional pride has its drawbacks, though, as opposing fans regularly taunt Werder Bremen fans as Fischkõppe (fishheads), alluding to offensive smell and limited intelligence.

Being in the north of Germany, Bremen has attracted a number of Scandinavian players.

Finally, Werder Bremen is also known for its level-headed environment. In contrast to many other cities, where the local sides are often subject to intense media attention, players and trainers here are usually left in relative peace. Bremen's reputation is that of sensible, respected and financially healthy club and it is popular as one of the Bundesliga's "second-most-loved clubs" for fans who first follow their own local side.

Team Trivia

Bremen conceded the Bundesliga's first ever goal when scored against by Borussia Dortmund's Timo Konietzka. They did, however, go on to win the match by three goals to two.

Players

2005/06 Playing Squad

Squad changes during 2006/07 season

In:

Clemens Fritz Signed From Bayer Leverkusen
Christian Vander Signed From VfL Bochum
Pierre Wome Signed From Internazionale
John Jairo Mosquera returned from loan to Sonderjyske
Diego Signed From FC Porto
Mohammed Zidan returned from loan to FSV Mainz 05

Out:

Jelle van Damme Returned To Southampton (and sold to Anderlecht)
Pekka Lagerblom Signed To 1.FC Cologne
Nelson Valdez Signed To Borussia Dortmund
Johan Micoud Signed To Girondins Bordeaux
Francis Banecki Loaned To Eintracht Braunschweig
Marco Stier Signed To Bayern Munich II

Famous players

Famous coaches

External links

Werder Bremen | German football clubs

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