Julian Malatini on his first year in Bremen

For many Werder fans living in and around Bremen, a snow-covered morning is likely to evoke fond childhood memories. For the then 22-year-old Argentine, his first experience of this was an almost magical one, as Julian Malatini gleefully recounts: “I had only arrived in Bremen the day before and then when I woke up, there was snow everywhere. What a beautiful welcome the city gave me (laughs). I went for a very scenic walk which was so nice, but it did also take a while to get used to the change in climate.”

Malatini needed very little time to settle into things on the football pitch, however. He made his debut on matchday 19 of last season at home to SC Freiburg, coming on in the 91st minute. It took him just two minutes to score his first goal for the club, capitalising on a poor clearance from Attila Szalai before rounding keeper Noah Atubolu to make the final score 3-1. The defender looked back on that fairytale start: “That was definitely the highlight of my first year with Werder.” In his 19 competitive appearances that followed, the defender caught the eye with his strength and agility. Nevertheless, the style of play seen in the Argentine top flight is vastly different compared to that of the Bundesliga. “The difference was very noticeable,” revealed the 23-year-old. “There aren’t a lot of mistakes made in the Bundesliga. I have worked hard in order to get up to the pace of league and I’ve felt myself improve game by game.”

Fellow South American, U23 assistant coach Nelson Valdez, has provided him with advice and support right from the get-go. “I’m very thankful to him for that,” emphasised Malatini, adding, “He helped me with finding my feet both at the club and in Bremen. I visited his restaurant a few times and got to know his family.” The defender’s own family have also experienced the benefits of a life in Bremen. The Malatinis were in attendance for the narrow 1-0 home defeat against SC Freiburg earlier this season while also getting to watch their Julian score the important goal to ignite the 4-3 comeback win away to Hoffenheim a week before. “They really like it here and I feel at home too. Bremen and the city of Florencio Varela in Greater Buenos Aires, where I lived and played before, are actually rather similar in terms of population, but it’s somewhat quieter here which I prefer.”

In the Argentine’s free time, he attends a German language course several times a week. “It’s a very tricky language,” he laughed. “I couldn’t understand anything at first, but to my surprise it was fine when out on the pitch. I can speak a bit of German now and understand it a little better, too.” Malatini may even have been showing off his German skills during his visit home over the Christmas holidays, but one thing that is for sure is that his entire family have been swept up by the Werder passion, as he explains: “I made sure that all my family and friends have kits, trying to give one to everyone (laughs). They always watch the games, even if the time difference makes it rather complicated. They are always supporting from afar, though.” Perhaps this is just the beginning of a new SV Werder fan base in Argentina.