Werder Flashback 2009: I to K

Sebastian Boenisch is helped up by Claudio Pizarro after the lost UEFA Cup final in Istanbul.
First Team
Tuesday, 29.12.2009 / 12:29

Twelve months have flown by – with highs and lows, celebrations and disappointments, departures and reunions. 2009 was like no other year. It’s not easy to keep....

Twelve months have flown by – with highs and lows, celebrations and disappointments, departures and reunions. 2009 was like no other year. It’s not easy to keep everything straight. That’s why WERDER.DE has put together a Green-White flashback for the end of the year. Werder 2009 from A to Z – to remember and smile. Today: Part 3 – I to K:

 

I - Istanbul: Werder accomplished huge things last season in Europe with victories over AC Milan, AS St.-Etienne, Udinese Calcio and Hamburg in the UEFA Cup. But in the UEFA Cup final in Istanbul, the Green-Whites lost 2-1 in extra time against Shakhtar Donetsk. Diego’s brilliance, Mertesacker’s defensive stability and Almedia’s bodily force were painfully missing in the final as all three did not play in Istanbul. Still, despite the sad Istanbul night, there would be a highlight just 10 days later as Bremen beat Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 to win the German Cup title.

 

J – Joyful return: It wasn’t until the famed gray Vespa rolled down Bremen’s streets that all doubts were left behind. Tim Borowski – and his favourite ride – made a joyful return to Werder in summer 2009 after a one-year stint with Bayern Munich. "I had a curious year with Bayern. But I would not have missed out on this opportunity. Now I am excited about Werder," said the 29-year-old Borowski on the day of his return. Borowski laced up his boots for 12 years for Werder – the club where he admits to "having grown up". The one-time boarding school pupil became a professional footballer, a German champion, a German Cup winner and German national team player. Borowski received a standing ovation in his initial final home match in May 2008. And the return welcome from Werder fans was hardly less heartfelt. "The first contacts to the Bremen supporters were very good. They were very happy, I was very happy and the chemistry just was right," said Borowski.

 

K – Keepsake: The first few weeks were identical to those of the three years in Bremen for the best Bundesliga player of the past season. Diego was thrilling the masses with his artistry, they were celebrating him and the media were trumpeting him with praise. The only difference was that the people in the stands were no longer wearing Werder Green-White but the black and white of Juventus Turin, where the superb playmaker transferred before the new season. "It was a godsend for us and the whole league to have a player like him with us for three years," said Werder manager Klaus Allofs of the keepsake memories of the Brazilian star. And Diego returned the compliment, saying: "I had the best three years of my career and my life here. Regardless of what happens, Werder Bremen will always remain in my heart."

 

The following letters of the 2009 WERDER almanac will continue in the coming days.

 

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