Together with Otto Rehhagel, he shaped an era at Werder Bremen. After that, he also became known in politics. Willi Lemke has died at the age of 77.
Willi Lemke is dead. The long-time football manager of SV Werder, former education senator of Bremen and special advisor to the UN Secretary General died on Monday from the effects of a brain hemorrhage, according to his family. The “Weser Kurier” was the first to report.
Lemke was 77 years old and was one of Bremen’s best-known personalities. The SPD politician became Werder manager in 1981 and, together with coach Otto Rehhagel, shaped the most successful period in the Bundesliga club’s history. In 1988, Bremen became German champions and in 1992 they won the European Cup Winners’ Cup. The DFB Cup victories in 1991 and 1994 also came during this era.
“His unexpected and far too early death has brought SV Werder to a standstill for a while,” said Werder’s managing director Klaus Filbry on Tuesday. “Willi Lemke is undoubtedly one of the greatest personalities in the history of German football. He did pioneering work in many areas at SV Werder and left his mark forever. Without his many years of work, the club would not be what it is today.”
In 1999, Lemke returned to politics. Until 2007, he was Senator for Education and Science in Bremen, and from 2007 to 2008, 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, a position Lemke held until 2016. At the same time, he was also a member of Werder Bremen’s supervisory board for a total of 17 years. From 2005 to 2014, he headed the board as chairman.
