DPA
Hanover
Werder Bremen long-serving director Willi Lemke has died at the age of 77, his family said on Tuesday.
The former senator for education and special advisor to the UN Secretary-General died on Monday as a result of a brain haemorrhage.
Lemke became Werder Bremen sporting director in 1981 and, together with coach Otto Rehhagel, he led the most successful period of the club’s history.
During his term, Werder Bremen won the Bundesliga in 1988, the German Cup in 1991 and 1994, and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1992.
“SV Werder Bremen are shocked to hear of the sudden death of Wilfried Lemke at the age of 77,” Bremen said on X.
The club’s managing director, Klays Filbry, added: “His surprising and far too early death has brought SV Werder to a standstill for a while. Willi Lemke is undoubtedly one of the greatest personalities in the history of German football. Without his many years of work, the club would not be what it is today.”
German Football League (DFL) supervisory board chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke also paid tribute to the former football official: “Willi Lemke was one of the Bundesliga’s most influential managerial figures. During his time at SV Werder Bremen, he celebrated great successes together with his colleagues and rendered outstanding services to football.”
Lemke was also a politician and from 1999 to 2007 he was senator for education and science in the state of Bremen. From 2007 to 2008, he served as senator for the interior and sport.
In 2008, the then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon appointed him special advisor on sport for peace and development. He stayed in office until 2016.
During that time, he was also a member of Werder Bremen’s supervisory board.
“In all his political endeavours, he always tried to convey that both politics and business can only benefit from sporting virtues such as team spirit, willpower and conviction,” Bremen city mayor Andreas Bovenschulte said.
