Key Figures — Werder Bremen

Otto Rehhagel - He came to stay: at first it looked like only a brief stop on the Weser.

Otto Rehhagel - He came to stay: at

Otto Rehhagel - He came to stay: at first it looked like only a brief stop on the Weser.

Otto Rehhagel - He came to stay: at first it looked like only a brief stop on the Weser. Otto Rehhagel arrived on February 29, 1976 as a fireman with a contract through the end of the season. Werder were 14th after Matchday 22 and threatened by relegation. Rehhagel was supposed to do what he often did in the 1970s: come in, stabilize a team quickly, and move on again. The mission worked, Werder stayed up, and the fans stormed the pitch after the final home game and tried to negotiate a new deal on the spot. Otto politely declined because he had already given his word to Borussia Dortmund. In April 1981 he returned, with Bremen still in the second division, and this time he came to stay. Under King Otto, Werder became German champions in 1988 and 1993, won the DFB Cup in 1991 and 1994, the Supercup in 1988, 1993 and 1994, and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1992. He shaped the club with his absolute claim to authority and his philosophy of controlled offense, a style that was both attractive and successful. During his time in Bremen, Kicker named him coach of the year four times.

Rudolf Rudi Voeller - A legend with both

Rudolf Rudi Voeller - A legend with both feet on the ground: before Aunt Kaethe entered football's hall of fame as a cult coach and official, he had already made history in Bremen as a player.

Rudolf Rudi Voeller - A legend with both feet on the ground: before Aunt Kaethe entered football's hall of fame as a cult coach and official, he had already made history in Bremen as a player. Voeller arrived in 1982 from relegated 1860 Munich and immediately became Bundesliga top scorer in his first season. In five years at Werder he finished runner-up three times and scored 97 Bundesliga goals. His curly hair, moustache and all-action style turned him into a crowd favorite.

Thomas Schaaf - The last title-winning coach: with

Thomas Schaaf - The last title-winning coach: with 14 years and one day in charge of one club, Schaaf belongs to the longest-serving coaches in German professional football.

Thomas Schaaf - The last title-winning coach: with 14 years and one day in charge of one club, Schaaf belongs to the longest-serving coaches in German professional football. From May 10, 1999 until May 11, 2013 he held the reins and led a once uncertain team back to the top of the Bundesliga. But the story of Schaaf and Bremen goes back much further. The Mannheim-born defender was with Werder from 1978 to 1995 not only as a youth player and professional but later as a youth coach as well. When he made his first-team debut he was the youngest player ever to appear in the Bundesliga for Bremen. As a player he won two league titles, two DFB Cups and the Cup Winners' Cup. As a coach he later led the club to the 2004 championship, three DFB Cups and the UEFA Cup final of 2009. After the double in 2004 he was named coach of the year.

Claudio Pizarro - Oldie but goldie: the horse-loving

Claudio Pizarro - Oldie but goldie: the horse-loving Peruvian has long made Bremen hearts beat faster.

Claudio Pizarro - Oldie but goldie: the horse-loving Peruvian has long made Bremen hearts beat faster. His first spell at Werder lasted from 1999 to 2001, yielding 29 goals and a move to Bayern. In 2008 Piza returned on loan from Chelsea, became the club's top scorer and won the DFB Cup. He stayed until 2012. After another stint with Bayern he put on the Bremen shirt once again in 2015. The on-off relationship lasted two more years, in which he became the club's record scorer and made his 400th Bundesliga appearance, a record for a foreign player. After an unhappy detour to Cologne, where he suffered relegation, he returned to Bremen yet again in 2018, celebrated his 41st birthday there and became the oldest scorer in Bundesliga history. Pizarro is a cult figure on the Weser.

Pico Schuetz - The captain: Arnold Pico Schuetz

Pico Schuetz - The captain: Arnold Pico Schuetz won the DFB Cup with Werder in 1961 and, as captain, the German championship in the second Bundesliga season of 1964/65.

Pico Schuetz - The captain: Arnold Pico Schuetz won the DFB Cup with Werder in 1961 and, as captain, the German championship in the second Bundesliga season of 1964/65. The club legend wore the Werder shirt 826 times between 1955 and 1972, including 253 Bundesliga matches and 69 goals from 1963 onward. In the early years he often played as a center forward, later more as a playmaker in midfield. Notably, throughout his career the honorary captain also held a regular job in Bremen's port as an insurance damage inspector.

Willi Lemke - The Bremen triumvirate: Wilfried Willi

Willi Lemke - The Bremen triumvirate: Wilfried Willi Lemke later served as a special adviser to the UN secretary-general, as a senator for education and science, and as Bremen's senator for the interior and sport.

Willi Lemke - The Bremen triumvirate: Wilfried Willi Lemke later served as a special adviser to the UN secretary-general, as a senator for education and science, and as Bremen's senator for the interior and sport. But after his time as Werder Bremen manager he remained above all one part of the club's famous triumvirate with Franz Boehmert and Otto Rehhagel, under whose leadership Werder enjoyed the most successful era in club history. He was also famous for his public feuds with Uli Hoeness and is considered the inventor of VIP boxes in German football stadiums, which first appeared at the Weserstadion.

Ole Werner took over the faltering club in November 2021, while they were in the 2.