Are Werder Bremen on the verge of an epic collapse?

After being knocked out of the DFB Pokal by 3. Liga side Arminia Bielefeld, Werder Bremen's season threatens to completely fall apart.

The contrast couldn’t have been more significant. While Arminia Bielefeld were celebrating their latest DFB Pokal sensation with their fans, Werder Bremen players walked into the dressing room with heads bowed in disappointment.

After all, the chance was there to reach the semi-final of the German Cup for the first time since the 2020/21 season, when they lost to RB Leipzig (1-2 a.e.t.). With Bayern Munich once again out of the competition, the chance to reach the final in Berlin for the first time since 2010 was also there.

Instead, the six-time DFB Pokal winners had to watch Arminia Bielefeld celebrate. The optics of losing to a 3.Liga side aside and not reaching the semi-final also has financial implications. Last year, Saarbrücken earned around €7m from their DFB Pokal run, and about half that money came from playing in the semi-final stage of the competition.

In other words, Werder Bremen missed out on about €3.5m by losing to Arminia Bielefeld on Tuesday. While those earnings are massive for a lower-division side, they are also not insignificant for a Bundesliga side, especially a club like Werder Bremen.