Werder Bremen is in the red: million minus threatens the future!

Werder Bremen is in the red: million minus threatens the future!

Werder Bremen is falling back on the harsh financial reality: At the general meeting in November, managing director Klaus Filbry will present a loss of over seven million euros for the 2024/2025 financial year. This means that the club's equity capital will fall to around 15 million euros, after it was an impressive 22 million euros last year. In a sporting year that ended with an increase of 2.2 million euros, the results are now a significant step backwards. Dike room reports that the lack of transfer revenue is primarily responsible for the sobering balance sheet.

How did this million-dollar loss come about? The originally planned lucrative player departures did not materialize, which severely restricted the club's transfer strategy. Another point that weighs on the balance sheet are the expensive loans from André Silva and Issa Kaboré. The costs of contract extensions for service providers and additional bonus payments due to sporting success also contribute to the financial difficulties. The result, says Filbry, is “within the range of our expectations” but is undoubtedly alarming. In the past financial year, sales rose to 120.1 million euros, which corresponds to an increase of almost 18 million euros compared to the previous year. But personnel expenses also grew significantly, by 13.4 million euros to 57.2 million euros, of which 12 million euros were attributable to player salaries alone. Buten and inland provides further information on this.

The transfer market and its pitfalls

Werder's balance sheet also shows how oppressive the dependence on the transfer market is. The negative figures reflect the decline in transfer surpluses, which fell from 28 million euros to just 5.3 million euros. The proceeds come primarily from the sales of Fabio Chiarodia and Yannik Engelhardt. While players like Niclas Füllkrug, whose transfer fee could be up to 18.25 million euros, do not appear in the current transfer balance sheet, it is clear that Werder Bremen urgently needs successful transfers in order to secure economic stability. Dike room makes it clear that Werder wants to train and sell value-added players in the future, although there have been setbacks in the past.

Additionally, the team is seen in the very lucrative television revenue equation. For the current year, additional income of around 3.5 million euros is expected from TV money. With solid sporting performance, this sum could rise to up to ten million euros in the 2026/27 season. Nevertheless, the final settlement of a state-guaranteed loan from the Corona period, which will have to be paid in the summer of 2026, remains a significant challenge. The clubs' immediate restoration of financial health could therefore be in jeopardy.

Financial strategies in German football

Werder Bremen's special situation is relevant in the larger context of German football. The financial situation of clubs is influenced not only by low transfer revenues, but also by increasing financialization. Efforts to relax the 50+1 rule are gaining support, while at the same time more fans see the integrity of football at risk. Financial turnaround highlights the developments surrounding the Super League and the commitment of investors, who often have little long-term interest in the well-being of the sport. Despite these challenges, the connection between community and earnings in German football remains strong and will not be unknown to Werder Bremen.