Relief prevailed at SV Werder after the 1-1 draw against 1. FC Köln. Romano Schmid secured Werder’s place in the Bundesliga with his first goal in the Bundesliga and lifted the weight off the Green-Whites’ shoulders. “I’m happy to stay in the league with such an important goal, but it has been a complete team performance over the whole season,” said the goal scorer after the final whistle. Here are the reactions to the game:
Ole Werner: “I’m really happy, even if I can’t show it yet. I’m too exhausted for that. Every point you get in the Bundesliga is just very, very hard-earned. As a promoted side, that’s even more the case for us, as this season has showed. Still, it’s not a given that we stay in this league. We worked hard for it. We have had our good moments, but also difficult ones. We have managed it together as a club and as a team. That deserves respect for every single member of staff, for every player who contributed to it and for everyone around that. That’s why I’m a very, very happy coach today.”
Marco Friedl: “Of course we are pleased at the end of the day. We had real problems for 70 minutes and couldn’t get into the game very well. Köln did that well and played with a lot of confidence. They were already safe, so it was easier for them. We knew we had to secure our position today because we hadn’t done so in recent weeks. That’s why we are very happy, even though we would have liked to win. We can live with the 1-1 result.”
Niklas Stark: “After the game, it felt like a weight off our shoulders to be honest. We’re enjoying it now with the fans that are here and celebrating with us. We achieved something today and put up a good fight, especially in the second half. In the first half, we didn’t throw ourselves into our challenges and take control of them. You could see that we were a bit nervous. It was an important game for us today, in which we showed maturity when it mattered.”
Romano Schmid: “It was a special moment when I scored, and of course it’s an even better feeling to stay in the league. I’m happy to stay in the league with such an important goal, but it has been a complete team performance over the whole season. I don’t think anyone doubted it, however, and our focus was always to stay in the league. Everyone was convinced of that. Even though it’s a great achievement, I think everyone in the team assumed that we would do it because we’ve been good enough throughout the season.”
