A look back on Werder Bremen’s 2023

A two-month pause in Bundesliga action due to the World Cup finally came to an end in January of this year, as SVW got off to a rocky start with a heavy 7-1 defeat to Köln in the first league game back. The Green-Whites then went on to lose their fourth straight game less than a week later to Union Berlin (2-1). However, the Green-Whites refused to let these setbacks get them down and rose to the occasion when it mattered most. After beating Wolfsburg and Stuttgart and ending February with a 3-0 win at home against VfL Bochum, the Green-Whites were able to get themselves back on track and climb up to the middle of the table. Although it took a little while for SVW to win another game after this short success streak, late comebacks in 2-2 draws against both Gladbach and Mainz was at least evidence of the Green-Whites’ fighting spirit.

Berlin is green and white

SVW had a big chance to increase the distance between themselves and last-placed Hertha BSC with an away game in Berlin on 22nd April. Like in every away fixture, the Green-Whites could count on having the support of their fans to get them through. On this sunny Saturday afternoon, over 20,000 Green-Whites took part in a fan march prior to the game at the Olympiastadion, which certainly made for an impressive sight. SVW’s performance in the subsequent match then concluded what could definitely be considered one of the most memorable days for the club in 2023, securing a 4-2 win and a vital three points towards their bid to stay in the Bundesliga. Marvin Ducksch excelled throughout the 90 minutes, scoring three goals for the Green-Whites and being awarded Man of the Match as a result. After 29 matchdays and 35 points on the board, a spot in the Bundesliga the following season was certainly still on the cards for SVW.

Thousands of fans took part on a march through Berlin to the stadium.

Around 25,000 Werder fans travelled to Berlin in April (Photo: W.DE).

Avoiding relegation and an award for Füllkrug

Romano Schmid scored his first Bundesliga goal against Köln.

Romano Schmid scored a vital goal against Köln to help the Green-Whites avoid relegation (Photo: W.DE).

As the 2022/23 campaign wasn’t entirely smooth-running, the Green-Whites had to fight right through to the final home game of the season against Köln to keep their spot in the Bundesliga. Romano Schmid fired home his maiden Bundesliga goal to net the essential equaliser in the 73rd minute to secure safety for the Green-Whites. Niclas Füllkrug certainly could not go without mention, as the Germany international fired home 16 goals over the season to finish as the league’s top goalscorer. He was presented with the Torjägerkanone after the clash against Union Berlin, placing Fülle into the same category as previous winners and former SVW players Rudi Völler, Mario Basler, Ailton and Miroslav Klose.

A very special game

Niclas Füllkrug in a DFB shirt in Bremen.

An extra appearance in Bremen for Füllkrug in the charity match for Ukraine (Photo: W.DE).

While most of the Werder players enjoyed a well-deserved holiday in June, there was one more game in Bremen for Niclas Füllkrug, as he played for Germany in a charity match against Ukraine at the wohninvest WESERSTADION. It was a special fixture in many ways: not only was it the first time that Bremen had hosted a national team game since 2012, it also marked Germany’s 1,000th game, with all the proceeds being donated to help support victims of the war in Ukraine. The match was also a fitting end to the season for Füllkrug, the highlights of which included playing in his first World Cup in Qatar and winning the Bundesliga’s top goalscorer award. The striker made the starting XI and celebrated in front of the home fans after scoring the opener in a 3-3 draw.

Difficult start following squad revamp

SV Werder Bremen made some changes to their squad in the summer, which saw youngster Niklas Schmidt leave the club, as well as Ilia Gruev, Manuel Mbom, Fabio Chiarodia, Lee Buchanan, and of course Niclas Füllkrug, who made the move to Borussia Dortmund just before the end of the transfer window. Oliver Burke, Dikeni Salifou, Eren Dinkçi and Mio Backhhaus were also sent out on loan prior to the start of the season, while Nicolai Rapp, Nick Woltemade, and Justin Njinmah returned to Bremen following loan spells. Dawid Kownacki and Guinea international Naby Keïta completed permanent moves to the Green-Whites in the summer, alongside Belgian pair Senne Lynen and Olivier Deman, while Colombia’s Rafael Borré joined on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt.

The new kit for the 2023/24 season was made in collaboration with hummel, SVW’s new supplier, and Matthäi, the club’s main sponsor, and it sold four times as well as usual. On the pitch, Ole Werner’s side struggled to get off to a strong start as they were dumped out of the DFB-Pokal by Viktoria Köln (3-2). The Green-Whites lost their first game of the season against FC Bayern, before yet another defeat in Freiburg, which put them under some pressure to get a result against Mainz. A 4-0 win at the wohninvest WESERSTADION was the perfect response and marked Werder’s first win at home since February, as well as their biggest win of the calendar year. Inconsistency followed, as the team performed poorly against Heidenheim and Darmstadt, but impressed in another home win against Köln. Against Dortmund, SVW put in a brave performance, but travelled back to Bremen empty-handed.

The team celebrating in front of the Ostkurve.

Finally another home win! SVW beat Mainz 4-0 in September (Photo:W.DE).

Bringing home all three points from the 2-0 home win against Union Berlin at the end of October was vital in allowing the Green-Whites to steer clear of the relegation zone. SVW picked up two points from three games in November, which was followed by a 2-0 loss against VfB Stuttgart at the beginning of December, one of their weakest performances of the current campaign. However, the Green-Whites picked themselves back up and won a vital three points at home against Augsburg, who are also currently fighting the relegation battle. SV Werder redeemed themselves at the end of 2023 with draws against both Gladbach and third-place RB Leipzig, finishing the year in 13th position and six points away from the relegation zone.

Fulfilling a childhood dream

Marvin Ducksch sitting in a Werder top draped in a Germany flag.

A great honour: Marvin Ducksch made his debut for Germany in November (Photo: W.DE).

However, despite the inconsistent results, the Green-Whites’ ability to perform at home wasn’t the only positive to come out of the first half of the season. Romano Schmid made a strong start to the campaign and was a regular in Werder’s starting XI, receiving a call-up to the Austria national side in October. Marvin Ducksch fulfilled his childhood dream of representing his country in November, when he was called into action for Julian Nagelsmann’s side and came on in both clashes against Turkey and Austria. The 29-year-old, who has scored seven goals and tallied five assists so far this season, was reunited with former strike partner Niclas Füllkrug.

Happy Holidays from everyone at SV Werder Bremen! We’re looking forward to the new year, which will start off strong with the club’s 125th anniversary celebrations in February.