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Werder Bremen's decline and revival

Once a major force in German football, Werder Bremen found themselves relegated to the 2. Bundesliga, burdened by excessive debt and revenue pressures.  Klaus Filbry likens Werder Bremen’s €80 million income decline during Covid-19 and relegation to a near-death experience. However, the club emerged stronger, partly by breaking down internal silos.

"Asking managing director of football, a sports director and a head of scouting and recruitment to participate in a two-day meeting is probably the last thing they want to do. But we insist on this four times a year," says CEO Klaus Filbry.

In 2021, Werder Bremen resembled many European clubs: effectively two separate entities - the commercial and sporting departments. The club has since successfully integrated these units.

It is often said in business that significant change requires a shake-up at the top of an organisation. While this is usually true, Werder Bremen stands out as a rare example of achieving fundamental transformation without major changes at the executive level.

The white-and-green North German club has made substantial improvements across most areas of its operations. However, this progress required an honest reckoning with years of poor execution.

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