Werder legend
Brain hemorrhage! German cult manager is dead
The German soccer world mourns the death of Willi Lemke! The long-time manager of Werder Bremen died of a brain haemorrhage at the age of 77. This was announced by his family.
The long-serving manager, who had been with the club since 1975, had played a decisive role in shaping Werder's successful years in the late 1980s and early 1990s together with coach Otto Rehhagel. In the period from 1981 to 1995, the Bremen team won the European Cup under the leadership of the two men of action, twice becoming German champions and twice winning the DFB Cup. Lemke's aegis also saw the club win the cup in 1999.
Exchange of blows with Uli Hoeneß
Lemke's enmity with Bayern Munich's Uli Hoeneß was legendary. The two had several spats in the mid-1980s. As a reminder: while Hoeneß called his Bremen opponent a "rabble-rouser", Lemke called Hoeneß the "gravedigger of soccer". However, the mutual dislike later turned into acceptance, respect and ultimately even friendship. Hoeneß had congratulated Lemke on his 70th birthday at the Weser Stadium in August 2016.
"Our disputes were a feast for the media: An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I was often asked whether it was for show, for business - or whether we really didn't like each other. I always answered: We didn't like each other," Lemke once wrote in FC Bayern magazine 51.
Also active in politics
Lemke was also politically active. He was Senator for Education and Science as well as Home Affairs and Sport in Bremen (1999 to 2007) and UN Special Advisor for Sport (2008 to 2016). He remained loyal to SV Werder and was a member of the Supervisory Board for a total of 17 years.
The family's obituary states: "His death leaves us very sad and stunned, but we were very fortunate that we were able to accompany him together in his last hours of life. After an eventful professional life as Werder manager, senator and UN Special Envoy, Willi will be remembered above all as a loving, caring husband, father, grandfather and family man who loved and cherished life and friendships."
"Willi Lemke is one of the greatest Werder fans of all time. We were shocked and deeply saddened by the news of his sudden death," said Dr. Hubertus Hess-Grunewald, President and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of SV Werder Bremen. "We will always remember Willi as an innovative, combative, passionate, ambitious and combative personality. He was always human and always conciliatory. Few people are as closely associated with Werder as Willi Lemke. His work - even beyond our club and Bremen - was extraordinary and exemplary. He was a citizen of the world who always remained a Hanseatic citizen. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time."
Lemke is survived by his wife Heide and four children.
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