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“We need to be the ones who provide that spark”
DANIEL THIOUNE’S PRESS CONFERENCE AHEAD OF THE NORDDERBY AGAINST HAMBURGER SV
16/04/26
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The Nordderby is back in Bremen! SV Werder Bremen will be looking to collect three more important points on Saturday (15:30 CEST), as well as make amends for the defeat in Hamburg earlier in the season. Werder head coach Daniel Thioune spoke in his pre-match press conference about...
...the midfield situation: “Jens Stage has spent the last two weeks training individually. He’ll rejoin team training tomorrow, after which we’ll make a decision on whether he is fit enough for a place in the squad on Saturday. Jens is an experienced player who can judge for himself how much risk he is willing to take. Now is the time to be courageous, but we prioritise the players’ health above all else. I’m delighted to have Cameron Puertas back as well. He plays with passion and isn’t afraid to put the hard yards in. If Cameron impresses in our final training session, then he’ll definitely be in contention to start against HSV.”
...the derby: “It’s easy to say it’s just another game. Derbies are different and this one hasn’t happened here for a long time. There are three points at stake, but as a Werder fan and someone who understands football, I know there is much more to play for. I’ll give this game my all. We’ll get support from the fans at tomorrow’s final training session. The stadium will be easy to ignite on Saturday – we need to be the ones who provide that spark.”
...Marco Friedl and the captaincy: “Marco pushes the team in his role as captain. He also has a sensitive nature and knows how to bring calm, which is why he’ll be important, even though he isn’t playing. Every player is irreplaceable, however that ‘irreplaceability’ can be compensated for. We showed that against Wolfsburg by balancing the heart of our midfield – Jens and Senne – with Leo Bittencourt, who is a true leader.”
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...Merlin Polzin: “I have nothing bad to say about him as a person – we share a long history together. We’re not looking to rival each other – the focus is on the game between Werder Bremen and HSV. We keep in contact, both about private and footballing matters. The rivalry is on the pitch at the weekend. I’d like to be the one receiving his congratulations after the game, rather than me congratulating him.”
...attacking options: “There might be a slight reshuffle after the game in Köln. I need a striker who puts the ball in the net, but we won’t build ourselves around one player. Justin Njinmah is one of a few players who can play across the front line. I would say Jovan Milošević has about 45 minutes in him, and any player who can give me a full half is a candidate for the starting lineup. Samuel Mbangula has been working hard in training, so I may be able to rely on his ability in one-on-ones and overall attacking strengths.”
...HSV: “We lacked precision in the final third against Köln, and I wasn’t too impressed with the body language of some players. I want to see us have more bite on Saturday. We’ve been practising how we transition from defence to attack and vice versa. We expect HSV to sit back and look to hit us on the counter-attack. I’m not focusing on HSV’s squad situation.”
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