Schalke and Werder Bremen may be the two newly promoted Bundesliga clubs heading into the 2022-23 season, but the two clubs are far from new to the league. In fact, they had been among the most ever-present clubs in the Bundesliga prior to their relegation the previous year.
So after a one-year absence, two of the most successful clubs in the country have made their way back to the German top flight.
Read on below as SBOTOP shares everything you need to know about the returning Schalke and Werder Bremen.
Schalke 04
Schalke are perhaps the third-biggest club in Germany behind only Bayern Munich and fierce rivals Borussia Dortmund. They are seven-time German champions (although their last triumph was back in 1958) and have been in the Bundesliga for 54 out of its 60 seasons.
And that’s what makes their relegation from the Bundesliga in 2021 all the more unbelievable.
Schalke were historically horrendous during the 2020-21 season. They failed to win their first 14 matches and cycled through five different managers, the first Bundesliga team to ever have that many bosses in a single season.
Dating back to the previous season, Schalke went an incredible 30 games – nearly a full calendar year – in between wins, which was a truly unfathomable feat for a club of their size and stature.
But despite a major squad upheaval following their shock relegation, the Royal Blues made sure their time out of the Bundesliga would be brief as they were crowned 2. Bundesliga champions to gain automatic promotion.
Schalke started the season a bit slow under coach Dimitros Grammozis and were not even sure of a play-off place for most of the season. But then they replaced Grammozis with Mike Buskens and they suddenly went on a tremendous run of eight wins in the last nine games which saw them claim the title.
Simon Terodde was Schalke’s undisputed star man as he scored a sensational 30 goals in 30 appearances – including 11 during their amazing winning run – to win the Torjägerkanone and power Schalke to promotion.
However, the 34-year-old is a career 2. Bundesliga journeyman who is unlikely to make a difference in the Bundesliga, which is why Schalke must invest heavily in a new striker. They’ve already added Sebastian Polter (10 goals in 33 games last season from Bochum), but they will need more firepower to stay up.
Meanwhile, new coach Frank Kramer must also find a way to solidify their defence. Schalke conceded 44 goals last season, which was only tied for fourth in the league. They’ve added Japanese veteran centre-back Maya Yoshida to provide some much-needed experience to the defensive line, but more investments must be done on the squad if they are to improve their Bundesliga 2022 odds of survival.
Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen may not be as big a club as Schalke, but they have had their fair share of success over the years. They have won the Bundesliga on four occasions – the most recent being in 2003-04 – and are tied with Bayern Munich in being in the Bundesliga in 58 out of its 60 years in existence.
Bremen bounced back immediately from their shock relegation as they finished second in 2. Bundesliga, just two points behind Schalke.
After the resignation of Markus Anfang, Ole Werner took over a midtable Bremen and led them to a run of seven straight wins. He would go unbeaten in his first 10 games in charge and would lose just twice in 19 games in charge as Werder won promotion.
A number of key Bremen players who were in the Bundesliga side that was relegated – Omer Toprak, Leonardo Bittencourt, Niclas Fullkrug – are still with the club. Meanwhile, the addition of striker Marvin Ducksch was crucial in them securing promotion. The 27-year-old led the team in both goals (20) and assists (7) as he formed a lethal strike partnership with Fullkrug (19 goals, 6 assists).
Bremen have focussed on defence during this transfer window, signing Niklas Stark, Amos Pieper, Lee Buchanan, and Mitchell Weiser on free transfers. They also splurged €4 million on central midfielder Jens Stage.
But like Schalke, Werder will be wise to look for another striker. Ducksch does not have a strong track record in the Bundesliga, scoring just twice in 31 career appearances.
Fullkrug has a slightly better record with 28 goals in 98 Bundesliga games over his career and seems capable of delivering more Bundesliga 2022 highlights. But the fact remains Werder will need more weapons if they are to avoid relegation.
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