But Bremen showed character. Under coach Ole Werner, the club won immediate promotion back as champions of the second division in 2021/22. Werner, a young and tactically astute coach, turned a shaken squad into a hungry promotion team. Clemens Fritz, the former captain and right-back, took over sporting responsibility as head of the professional department and became the face of the new era.
Frank Baumann, the long-time sporting director, had left after the relegation.