“We need to be a bit braver”

Bundesliga survival is guaranteed, and Werder have reached the final test of the campaign. For their last game of the season, SV Werder Bremen will host Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, 15.05.2026 (15:30 CEST). On Friday afternoon, the head coach spoke in the pre-match press conference about…

…Leo Bittencourt: “The squad situation and Maximilian Wöber’s absence means that it’s been possible for Leo to return to the squad. Tomorrow, the focus is on giving him a fitting send-off. I’ve also known Leo for a long time. He’s a player with real leadership qualities who also takes responsibility and plays an important role on the pitch. It was important to us that we take him along on the ride for the final game of the season and that he doesn’t leave through the back door. It also reflects that he was a key component in securing survival. Leo is leaving big shoes to fill at Werder and will be a welcome guest in the future.”

…the mood after securing survival: “The season didn’t end the way that we wanted it to beforehand. Rather, the goal for the season was more so geared towards qualifying for European competition. In winter, the focus was then suddenly on staying in the league. However, it’s noticeable that in the moments where we’ve got our backs to the wall, be it in Heidenheim, Wolfsburg, or even against Union Berlin, we always felt the special support from the fans. Disappointment and criticisms were also justified on many occasions. Tomorrow, we’ll definitely feel a sense of relief that we’ve stayed up in the stadium. The game against Dortmund should be a way to end the season on a high. We also want to leave behind a positive impression with a view to improving next season.”

…BVB’s tactics: “Over the past few weeks, we’ve adapted situationally to the opposition. The goal was to cause the opposition as many problems as possible and play to our strengths at the same time. Above all, against Dortmund tomorrow, pressing early on will be crucial, since we’re expecting a lot of runs from deep from BVB’s perspective. The opposition have a lot of players like Guirassy who can hold the ball up in the middle of the pitch and lay it off. For that reason, the focus will be on closing down space efficiently. We’ve also clearly defined our positional responsibilities in advance and gone over the attacking tactics once again in training. Since there’s not as much pressure on the game from a sporting perspective, we want to play with a bit more courage, too.”

…the candidates for a World Cup call-up: “Yuki Sugawara received the final call-up today. As a result of his red card against TSG Hoffenheim, he’s unfortunately left camp ahead of time and can recharge his batteries for the World Cup. As a team, we’re over the moon that he’s managed to secure his spot on the plane. For the other players, tomorrow isn’t an exhibition. Nobody’s getting game time from me as a result of a possible call-up. Instead, the focus is on making a good impression.”

…a summary of his first three months: “Every game in the first three months has helped me. Before I started, the question was often asked whether I would have enough experience for the first division. For me, though, that was never a decisive issue. Instead, it was important for me that I manage to fulfil the objective of staying up. Now, we can check that off. However, that was a collective achievement that I only contributed my part to. With an eye on the game against the runners-up in the league, I’ve still got a lot of learning to do. All the experience will also benefit me in pre-season.”

…his ideas for next season: “Intensity, attitude and resilience. These are all important attributes as far as staying in the league is concerned. We’ve already showed these characteristics this season. Next season, I’m concentrating on how we play out of possession as well as on a more active style of play where we make fewer mistakes. This season, our crosses were very deep and high, but I prefer playing the ball along the ground. If we can describe the team next season using these words, then that would be great.”