Werder Bremen's decline and revival
12/13/2024 09:22 AM
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.
