¿Quién habría imaginado que el centenario del Weserstadion concluiría con un vibrante 4‑3 contra las leyendas del Real Madrid? El Werder Bremen celebró los 100 años de su estadio con ese amistoso triunfal.
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Bremen Legends 4-3 Real Madrid Legends
Goals: 0-1 De la Red Gutiérrez 6′, 1-1 Sokratis 26′, 1-2 Callejón 41′, 2-2 Rosenberg 45′, 3-2 Charisteas 62′, 4-2 Diego 72′, 4-3 García Íñiguez 85′
A sold-out crowd at the Weserstadion was treated to some big names on either side of the pitch, with fan favourites Diego, Naldo, Ailton and Per Mertesacker starting for the hosts, while the likes of Claude Makélélé, Pepe, Christian Karembeu and Esteban Cambiasso began for Real Madrid.
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The visitors threatened to spoil the party early on when they took the lead through Rubén de la Red Gutiérrez, but his sixth minute effort was soon cancelled out by Sokratis.
José Callejón restored the Spanish side’s lead shortly before the interval, but Bremen – coached by Bundesliga icons Thomas Schaaf, Otto Rehhagel and Claudio Pizarro – hit back almost instantly through Markus Rosenberg to make the score 2-2 at the interval.
Incidentally, Rosenberg was also on target the last time the first teams met in a competitive game, back in November 2007 in the group stage of the UEFA Champion League, when Bremen won 3-2 at the Weserstadion.
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Charisteas (l.) shields the ball from decorated Real Madrid and Portugal defender Pepe (r.). – IMAGO/nordphoto GmbH / Tauchnitz –><!–>
It was to be a similarly joyful occasion on Saturday, with Angelos Charisteas giving the hosts the lead for the first time in the 62nd minute, heading in a corner from Felix Kroos, whose brother Toni represented Real Madrid from 2014-2024.
Diego rolled back the years in the 72nd minute with an eye-catching curler from the edge of the box into the top corner to make it 4-2. Although Agustín García Íñiguez reduced the deficit moments later, Bremen were not to be denied on an evening of celebration.
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A spectacular light show rounded off the evening as the Weserstadion partied into the night. – IMAGO/nordphoto GmbH / Tauchnitz –>
Para mí, el eco de esas noches gloriosas supera cualquier trofeo; Schaaf recordó que, de niño entre la grada, soñó con vivir este momento.
La Champions League sigue marcando su cima. Cada vez que evoco mi debut como entrenador, un escalofrío recorre mi espalda y la atmósfera del estadio vibra intensamente. ¿Podrá el Werder replicar este ímpetu en la próxima temporada?