Hamburg SV climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win over fading Mainz 05 in the day's other Bundesliga match
Schaaf spent his entire playing career at Bremen, joining them as a junior in 1972, and also coached the club for 14 years, winning one Bundesliga and three German Cup titles.
He also coached the junior teams in between but his association with them ended when he was fired in May 2013.
Bremen's defeat left the four-time Bundesliga champions one place off the bottom with 13 points, a predicament they have become used to in the last few years.
The first half ended all square after Alexander Meier put Frankfurt ahead and Theodor Gebre Selassie equalised on the stroke of halftime for the visitors.
Haris Seferovic put seventh-placed Frankfurt back in front early in the second half and the hosts scored three times in 12 minutes after Bremen goalkeeper Raphael Wolf went off injured and was replaced by Richard Streginber.
Meier, with his tenth goal of the season, Stefan Aigner and Marc Stendera scored in quick succession while Luca Caldirola replied for the visitors.
Hamburg, the only-ever present club in the Bundesliga's 51-year history, showed further signs of a revival as they clocked up their third successive home win.
Brazilian defender Cleber Reis fired home an unstoppable shot to put Hamburg ahead in the 32nd minute after the Mainz defence made a hash of trying to clear the ball.
Dutchman Rafael van der Vaart increased Hamburg's lead early in the second half when he converted a penalty, his third goal of the campaign, and the hosts were cruising.
There was some late drama as Shinji Okazaki headed one back for Mainz but it was too late and they completed their sixth league game without a win.
Hamburg, who failed to score in their first five Bundesliga games, climbed to 13th in the 18-team table with 15 points, only one behind Mainz.
(Writing by Brian Homewood in Berne, editing by Alan Baldwin)
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