For the 1971/72 season Werder not only changed their shirt colors, they also wanted to become German champions again with a star-studded side. Instead of the traditional green and white, the club ran out in so-called bacon-flag shirts, bearing the red and white of the city of Bremen and the Bremen key on the chest in place of the Werder W. Helped by the city and Bremen business circles, debts were forgiven and the club received a share of the advertising revenue from the Weserstadion.
Werder then went on a shopping spree, signing Willi Neuberger and Werner Acker Weist from Dortmund and Herbert Laumen from Moenchengladbach. What few people know is that they almost also signed Laumen's Gladbach teammate Guenter Netzer for that season. Player and club had already reached an agreement when Netzer made one condition: as in Gladbach, he wanted to publish the stadium magazine in Bremen too.
Werder refused to let him take over the Werder Echo, so Netzer stayed in Gladbach for the time being. The title bid collapsed. Werder finished only eleventh in 1971/72 and were mocked on all sides.
The new sponsors withdrew, and burdened by debt the club staggered toward the second division.
