Werder Bremen’s sports director Frank Baumann spoke emotionally about his upcoming departure at his club’s general meeting.
“I will remain with Werder as a fan and as a member – and both for life,” said the 48-year-old former national player: “That’s another reason why I’ll be sitting at the back of one or two members’ meetings in the next few years and eating my meatballs.”
Baumann recently announced that he would be ending his role as managing director in the summer after eight years. The successor should be determined by the end of the first quarter of 2024. Clemens Fritz, currently head of professional football at the Hanseatic League, is one of the candidates for the successor.
Baumann stands up for Ole Werner
At his last general meeting in office, Baumann once again campaigned for coach Ole Werner, who was involved in the development of professionals such as Marvin Ducksch and Niclas Füllkrug (now Borussia Dortmund). Both “ugly birds,” as Füllkrug once called the former Werder strike duo, are now national players. “Nobody would have thought it possible for two ugly birds to transform into two beautiful eagles,” said Baumann.
Meanwhile, it was announced on Sunday that the Hanseatic League ended the past financial year with a significant loss. This emerges from the figures announced by Klaus Filbry as CEO of the corporation.
Werder reports a big loss
For 2022/23, with total revenue of 120.1 million euros, there was ultimately a deficit of 3.8 million euros. In the previous year there was a surplus of 6.3 million euros. Taking a “manageable economic risk” in favor of the sporting goals “paid off in sporting terms,” said Filbry. In view of the transfer proceeds already achieved, he is optimistic that the deficit can at least be compensated for in the current financial year.
President Hubertus Hess-Grunewald reported a record for the club with more than 48,000 members. “This is a record that makes me very happy and that, after difficult years in sport, is an expression of the people’s unbroken, passionate connection to SV Werder,” said Hess-Grunewald.