SV Werder Bremen facts for kids
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| Full name | Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. |
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| Nickname(s) | Die Werderaner (The River Islanders) Die Grün-Weißen (The Green-Whites) |
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| Short name | Werder, Bremen | |||
| Founded | 4 February 1899 | |||
| Ground | Weserstadion | |||
| Capacity | 42,100 | |||
| President | Hubertus Hess-Grunewald | |||
| Head coach | Ole Werner | |||
| League | 2. Bundesliga | |||
| 2020–21 | Bundesliga, 17th of 18 (relegated) | |||
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Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (often called Werder Bremen or just Werder) is a German sports club. It is based in the city of Bremen. The club started on February 4, 1899. Werder Bremen is most famous for its professional soccer team. This team plays in the Bundesliga, which is the top soccer league in Germany.
Werder Bremen has played in the Bundesliga for many seasons, sharing the record with Bayern Munich. They are also ranked third in the all-time Bundesliga table, behind only Bayern and Borussia Dortmund.
The team has won the German championship four times. They have also won the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) six times. Other trophies include the DFL-Ligapokal once and the DFL-Supercup three times. In European competitions, Werder won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1992. They were also runners-up in the UEFA Cup in 2009.
Werder Bremen plays its home games at the Weserstadion. They have played there since 1909. The club has a big rivalry with Hamburger SV, another team from northern Germany. This rivalry is called the Nordderby (North Derby). In April 2022, Werder Bremen had over 40,000 members.
Contents
Club History
Early Years (1899–1970)
On February 4, 1899, a group of 16-year-old students started FV Werder Bremen. They had won a soccer ball in a tug of war game! The name "Werder" means "river peninsula" in German. This refers to the field by the river where they first played. On September 10, 1899, Werder won their first match 1–0.
In 1900, the club helped create the German Football Association (DFB). Werder quickly became successful, winning many local championships. By 1903, all three of their teams won their local leagues. Werder was so popular that they were the first club in Bremen to charge people to watch their home games.
After World War I, the club added other sports like track and field, baseball, and tennis. On January 19, 1920, the club changed its name to Sportverein Werder Bremen. In 1922, they hired their first professional coach. During the 1920s and 1930s, Werder often played in the Northern German football championship play-offs.
Werder won the Gauliga Niedersachsen four times between 1934 and 1942. Winning this league allowed them to play for the national championship. Their best result was reaching the quarter-finals in 1942. Since professional soccer was not allowed then, many Werder players worked at a tobacco factory. This led to their nickname "Texas 11," after a cigarette brand.
After World War II, Werder was one of the top two teams in northern Germany. In 1961, Werder won their first major trophy, the DFB-Pokal. They beat 1. FC Kaiserslautern 2–0 in the final. In 1963, Werder joined the first season of the Bundesliga. They won their first German championship in 1965, finishing ahead of 1. FC Köln.
The Rehhagel Era and European Success (1970–2000)
In 1971, during a game against Borussia Mönchengladbach, a player fell into Werder's goal net. The goalpost broke, and the game had to stop! Werder was later given the win. The team was nicknamed "Millionenelf" (Million Eleven) because they signed many expensive players. However, their performance didn't improve, and in 1980, Werder was relegated (moved down) from the Bundesliga for the first time.
They quickly returned to the Bundesliga in 1981. Under manager Otto Rehhagel, Werder became very strong. They finished second in the Bundesliga three times in the 1980s. In 1986, they lost the title on the last day after missing a penalty kick against Bayern Munich. Two years later, in 1988, Werder won their second Bundesliga title. They only let in 22 goals that season, which was a record!
Werder reached the DFB-Pokal final in 1989 and 1990, winning it in 1991. They also won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1992, beating AS Monaco 2–0 in the final. In 1993, they won their third Bundesliga title. They also won their third DFB-Pokal in 1994. Werder was the first German club to reach the group stage of the new UEFA Champions League in 1993–94. In one famous game that season, they were losing 3–0 to Anderlecht but came back to win 5–3. This amazing comeback is known as the "Wunder von der Weser" (Wonder of the Weser).
In 1995, Otto Rehhagel left Werder after 14 successful years. He was the club's most successful manager. After a few years with different coaches, former Werder player Thomas Schaaf became manager in 1999. He saved the team from relegation and won the DFB-Pokal just weeks later.
Recent Years (2000–Present)
Werder Bremen continued to do well in the 2000s. In 2004, they had an amazing season, winning both the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal. This is called winning the double, and Werder was only the third club in Bundesliga history to do it! They also often played in the Champions League during this time.
In 2009, Werder reached the UEFA Cup final, but lost to Shakhtar Donetsk. However, they won the DFB-Pokal final that same year. In April and May 2009, Werder played their rivals Hamburg four times in just 19 days! Werder beat Hamburg in the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal, and the UEFA Cup.
Many great players played for Werder during this period, including Diego, Torsten Frings, Miroslav Klose, Mesut Özil, and Claudio Pizarro. In 2013, Thomas Schaaf left the club. In 2020, Werder almost got relegated but won a play-off to stay in the Bundesliga. However, in 2021, they were relegated to the 2. Bundesliga. They quickly bounced back, finishing second in the 2021–22 2. Bundesliga and getting promoted back to the Bundesliga after just one season.
Players
Current Squad
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Players on Loan
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Reserve Team
Notable Players
- You can find a list of famous Werder Bremen players here.
Retired Numbers
- 12 – This number is retired to honor the club's amazing supporters, who are seen as the "twelfth man" on the field.
Managers and Coaching Staff
Werder Bremen has had many managers since the Bundesliga started in 1963. Otto Rehhagel was the manager for 14 years, which is the longest time anyone has held the job.
Coaching Staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Ole Werner |
| Assistant coach | Patrick Kohlmann Hannes Drews Tom Cichon |
| Goalkeeping coach | Christian Vander |
| Director of football | Tim Barten |
| Team manager | Dustin Haloschan |
Club Colors and Crest
Colors
Werder Bremen's official colors are green and white. Their club song, "Lebenslang Grün-Weiß" (Green-White Forever), talks about these colors. Their home jerseys are usually green or white. Sometimes, they have used different colors, like red and white (the city's colors) in the 1970s, or blue because of a sponsor.
Crest
Werder Bremen has used several different logos (crests) over the years.
- Their first logo in 1899 was a simple "FVW" for "FV Werder Bremen."
- In 1902, they used a green crest with "1899," "F.V.W.," and "Bremen" written on it.
- Later, in 1924, they created an oval green crest with a large white "W."
- In 1929, this oval shape became a diamond, which is the basis for their current logo.
- Since 1981, the club has used the modern diamond-shaped crest with the white "W."
- A star is shown above the crest on the team's shirts. This star means they have won four Bundesliga titles.
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1899–1902
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1911–1924
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1924–1929
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1929–1976
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1977–1981
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Since 1981 onwards
Home Stadium: Weserstadion
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Werder Bremen has played its home games at the same spot since 1909. Back then, it was a sports field with a wooden grandstand. In 1926, a new grandstand was built. The venue was first called the "Weserstadion" in 1930.
After World War II, American sports like baseball were played there. In 1947, it reopened as a shared sports venue and was officially renamed "Weserstadion."
After Werder won their first Bundesliga title in 1965, the stadium was expanded. In 1992, Werder was the first German club to add special "skyboxes" for VIPs. The stadium was renovated from 2008 to 2011. They added solar panels to the outside and built a new roof. The old running track was removed, and the stands were moved closer to the field. Today, the Weserstadion can hold 42,100 fans.
Supporters and Rivals
Werder Bremen has a long-standing rivalry with Hamburger SV, another club from northern Germany. This is called the Nordderby (North Derby). The rivalry isn't just about soccer; it goes back to historic competition between the cities of Hamburg and Bremen. These two cities are the biggest in northern Germany.
Bayern Munich is another rival, especially since the 1980s when both teams often competed for league titles. More recently, Werder fans have developed a dislike for Schalke 04. This is because Schalke has signed several Werder players over the years.
Werder Bremen has several dedicated fan groups called "ultras." These include "Wanderers-Bremen," "The Infamous Youth," and "Caillera." Werder fans also have friendly relationships with fans of Rot-Weiss Essen in Germany, SK Sturm Graz in Austria, and Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Jerusalem in Israel.
The official anthem of Werder Bremen is "Lebenslang Grün-Weiß" by Original Deutschmacher. It is sung before every home game. After each Werder goal, the song "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers is played, along with the sound of a ship's horn.
Club Achievements
Werder Bremen has won many trophies:
Domestic Trophies
- Bundesliga (German Championship)
- Winners: 1964–65, 1987–88, 1992–93, 2003–04
- Runners-up: 1967–68, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1994–95, 2005–06, 2007–08
- 2. Bundesliga (Second Division)
- Winners: 1980–81
- Runners-up: 2021–22
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup)
- Winners: 1960–61, 1990–91, 1993–94, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2008–09
- Runners-up: 1988–89, 1989–90, 1999–2000, 2009–10
- DFL-Ligapokal (League Cup)
- Winners: 2006
- Runners-up: 1999, 2004
- DFL-Supercup (Super Cup)
- Winners: 1988, 1993, 1994, 2009 (unofficial)
- Runners-up: 1991
- DFB-Hallenpokal (Indoor Cup)
- Winners: 1989
- Runners-up: 1991, 2001
Regional Trophies
- Gauliga Niedersachsen
- Winners: 1933–34, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1941–42
- Runners-up: 1934–35
International Trophies
- European Cup Winners' Cup
- Winners: 1991–92
- UEFA Cup
- Runners-up: 2008–09
- European Super Cup
- Runners-up: 1992
- UEFA Intertoto Cup
- Winners: 1998
- Kirin Cup
- Winners: 1982, 1986
The Double
- In the 2003–04 season, Werder Bremen won both the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal in the same year!
European Competitions
Werder Bremen has played in many European soccer competitions organized by UEFA. They won the 1991–92 European Cup Winners' Cup and were runners-up in the 1992 European Super Cup. They also reached the final of the 2008–09 UEFA Cup. In 1998, Werder was a joint winner of the 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup.
Images for kids
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A chart showing Werder Bremen's league performance over the years.
See Also
In Spanish: Werder Bremen para niños
- SV Werder Bremen (women) – The women's soccer team connected to Werder Bremen.
- The Football Club Social Alliance
