Werder Bremen’s ultras: When trolling rivals meets fighting queer hate
Back in 2023/24, Bayer Leverkusen sealed their first ever Bundesliga title after a 5–0 win at home againstWerder Bremen.
During the celebrations, green smoke was seen on the pitch.
Werder Bremen’s and Leverkusen’s ultra groups don’t exactly like each other, to say the least.
One of the clearest expressions of it are a series of insulting banners shown in both ends when the two clubs played each other.
Here, for instance, Werder Bremen ultra group Infamous Youth mock Ultras Leverkusen for their habit of flying to Mallorca in the summer and celebrate there.
In a bid to insult their rivals, Ultras Leverkusen’s banners often include a discriminatory twist, aiming to Werder Bremen’s ultras’ progressive, pro LGBT positions.
Here, from 2014, in a banner by Ultras Leverkusen:
“HeterosexuUL — The club’s colors (in green, Werder’s colors) are not interesting, the only thing that matters is the homo flag (an insulting way to refer to the rainbow flag. -FT) in their hands.”
Ultras Leverkusen’s attempts to “insult” their opponents with discriminatory banners continued as both clubs met at Werder’s Weserstadion:
“The Lemon Man (an imaginative figure used by UL’s fanzine for controversial statements. -FT) says: There are many music genres, but only two genders!”
The reaction by Werder Bremen’s ultra scene came as both sides met in Leverkusen, a game which sealed Bayer’s first ever league title.
Get Felix Tamsut’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Several Bremen fans apparently managed to smuggle themselves into Leverkusen’s end, handing the home fans over with green-white smoke bombs.
The home fans assumed it was red pyro.
As the final whistle was heard and Leverkusen fans stormed the pitch, some fans used the smoke bombs handed to them… and they were green.
A banner in the away end provides the solution to the question, signed by ultra group UltrA Team Bremen:
“There are many genders, but only two colors! (in green-white)”
The green smoke could be seen in national German television news, the most watched news show in Germany.
Revenge completed.
Many of Werder Bremen’s ultra groups are known for their progressive, antifascist, socially aware political stance.
As a result of their long-year stance, the club itself followed suit, and the two sides often cooperate to support diversity, anti-racism, feminist projects and projects against antisemitism.
Sources and photos: Wanderers Bremen, Faszination Fankurve.
Remark from the author:
My Medium articles are, and always will be, available for free. If you’d like to support my work, please consider buying me a coffee. Half of your support will be monthly donated to PolyLux, an initiative to support antifascist structures in Germany’s east.
