“We showed a great deal of resilience”

Head coach Daniel Thioune arrived on the banks of the Weser with a clear primary objective: secure Bundesliga survival. He got his team to that mark on the penultimate matchday, and in the end, the gap between SV Werder Bremen and the relegation zone was six points. In this end-of-season interview, Thioune reflects on his role during his first few months in charge, his approach to making the upcoming season more successful, and how he plans to recharge his batteries over the next few weeks.

WERDER.DE: Daniel, you have always openly said that Saturday, 15:30 – meaning the Bundesliga – is your dream. How does that dream feel so far?

Daniel Thioune: I am living out my dream. When you work in sport on a professional level, you want to operate at the highest possible level and realise that wish. I didn’t manage that as a player, as I was stuck in the 2. Bundesliga. I’ve managed to fulfil my dream, I’ve made it to the 15:30 kick-offs.

WERDER.DE: Does your expectation of the dream match reality?

Daniel Thioune: Yes, I have to say it does. In the 2nd or 3rd tier you are not unbelievably far away from top-level football, but the Bundesliga is another world. The media attention is significantly greater, the demands are higher, and the pressure is on a lot more because so much is at stake. It is a privilege to be around the best players in Germany and compete with top clubs. I’ve enjoyed getting to know stadiums that I’d not been to before. These first few months have been about settling in, and I see it as just the beginning. I’m excited for what’s ahead.

WERDER.DE: You arrived in Bremen just under four months ago. Werder were 15th, one point above the relegation zone, and on a long winless run. What did you walk into?

Daniel Thioune: A sense of dissatisfaction, which is completely normal in that situation. The team had gone a long time without a win, and when you’re in that kind of spiral, you naturally start seeing problems everywhere instead of solutions. I always describe it like a stone rolling down a hill – our first job was simply to slow it down. And we did that quite quickly, not necessarily in terms of results at first, but in terms of how we were working and what we were doing on the pitch. We stopped the downward trajectory.

WERDER.DE: Werder opted against the typical “firefighter” coach and the kind of names associated with that when appointing you, but in those first weeks, that was very much the job in front of you. How did you perceive the whole thing?

Daniel Thioune: The process, in which I came out ahead of one or two other coaches, was really marked by the level of trust that the club’s management placed in me. You can go for the classic firefighter, the developing coach, or the experienced option. Or you can invest in the future. For me, the situation felt similar to what I experienced in Düsseldorf or Osnabrück a few years ago. My goal was to prove I could handle it. I’ve always said I don’t necessarily know whether I was the first choice, but I want people afterwards to say that I may have been the best choice for the situation.

WERDER.DE: As you mentioned, results were difficult at the start, and after the defeat at FC St. Pauli, many had already written off Bundesliga survival. Your dream almost turned into a nightmare. How did you manage the turnaround?

Daniel Thioune: I prepared myself for that situation beforehand. It’s fair enough to lose against Freiburg or Bayern. But after the St. Pauli game, for the first time, the questions really started coming up: what impact is the coach having? Does he have enough experience? Can he handle this situation? I told the lads to shut out the noise, focus on themselves, and trust in their own quality. The game against Heidenheim, with the help of the stadium and the fans, was the spark. That’s when the energy came back and we showed we’re capable of far more than just losing football matches.

"We weren’t better than 15th place. You have to be honest about that."

WERDER.DE: You’ve given a lot of players new confidence, including some who were struggling individually. How important has that been?

Daniel Thioune: I try to work with the players on equal terms, with respect and appreciation. A big part of it was giving them back the energy they’d lost. They can all play football. Then one thing led to another. When something works and brings success, you have the chance that confidence grows again, but also trust in myself and my work. After the St. Pauli game, the voices were already getting louder that it could end with relegation. We showed a great deal of resilience. To end up six points clear of the relegation places, anyone would have signed for that after the St. Pauli game, and so we’re not necessarily satisfied with the whole campaign, but we can be glad at the end of the season.

WERDER.DE: In the end, Werder finished in 15th place. How do you assess that result?

Daniel Thioune: In a realistic way. We weren’t better than 15th place. You have to be honest about that. I’ve always said that the table after the last matchday doesn’t lie. Over the whole year, we didn’t only make good decisions and we’ve seen that we weren’t doing well enough in many areas. That is what we now have to address. We have already been analysing the season in detail, we are still in that process and we have to change things. We must show a different side to us and a different way of doing things.

WERDER.DE: What positives can we take from generally quite a negative season?

Daniel Thioune: Having followed Werder from a distance in the past, I’ve always been struck by the way the Werder family sticks together when the going gets tough, time and time again. I already mentioned the home game against Heidenheim, what we saw from the fans in the stadium, and then towards the end, the Nordderby. We have to take all of those good things with us as we move forward. The fans want to watch their team play attractive football again. That doesn’t mean that we start absolutely tearing through our opponents, but more the idea that this is a group who will give it absolutely everything we’ve got out on that pitch. That helps to get the stadium fully firing as well. You can then find yourself with a style of play that’s attractive and offers you the chance to score more goals. We barely managed to do that at all this season, and so it’s a massive part of the plan going forward.

WERDER.DE: There are likely to be a number of changes to the makeup of the squad this summer. How far does that kind of thing affect what you do as head coach?

Daniel Thioune: It’s important that I have a role in the whole process, and that’s going well, definitely. We’re currently working through what is going well right now and what needs improvement. We’re thinking about what will make the difference to be successful in the future. There will be a decent amount of change in the squad, that’s inevitable, really. We’ll have to make the right decisions, and some of them will be difficult, that’s for certain. The aim is to put the squad together earlier than last season. Everyone is working hard on that. We are on the right track in that respect.

WERDER.DE: The departure of Leonardo Bittencourt was already decided before you arrived in Bremen, and you said there will be more changes to come regarding the squad. How important is it to impress the identity of the club upon those coming into the team, but also those already there?

Daniel Thioune: It’s incredibly important. That was something that really helped in the run-up to the Nordderby. Ahead of the game, I’d heard that the team weren’t really in that derby mindset for the reverse fixture. We need to make sure all the players understand what SV Werder Bremen stands for and how strong that sense of identity should be. Everyone needs to have the feeling that they can bring something to the table. Wearing these colours is something truly special. That is the key point: we need lads who play for the badge with real joy, but who also understand the responsibility that comes with it.

"There needs to be a recognisable identity and style that fits the squad."

WERDER.DE: Let’s look ahead. What has been missing this season? What have you not yet been able to work on?

Daniel Thioune: I’d say we’ve not had the chance to really look at how to start being truly successful. I came into a very demanding situation. We had a lot of injuries, which meant we had to make many compromises. That’s something we don’t want going forward. It’s therefore important that we grow together in this process and that our idea of how to play football can look different from this summer on. We want to get back to playing our way into the final third, rather than relying on long balls. There needs to be a recognisable identity and style that fits the squad.

WERDER.DE: Where will we first see the Daniel Thioune stamp on how this team want to play?

Daniel Thioune: I’ve always spoken about the way we carry ourselves. It is a privilege to play for Werder, and it needs to be understood as such. That has to be visible to anyone watching on, from the moment we step out onto the pitch. It’s not so much about talent, then, rather a willingness and a determination to show that we’ll do everything we can to be successful. First and foremost, it’s about presenting a clear sense of self – who we are and how we play. Beyond that, of course, we want to start getting back to finishing games having scored more goals than we‘ve conceded.

WERDER.DE: It’s time to recharge the batteries now. How will you spend your summer break, and what role will the World Cup play in the Thioune household?

Daniel Thioune: I came in with my batteries full and was able to top them up during the good spells. But now – as with everyone – the mental challenge has been significant. To recharge, I’ll be going away with my family to somewhere a little quieter, an island in the sun. There I can reflect, think about what can be improved, and take stock. I’ll be watching the World Cup as a fan, cheering on the Germany national team, and I’ll also be pleased that Marco Friedl and Romano Schmid have made Austria’s squad. It’s great for all of us that two players, despite a difficult season, have still been called up to a World Cup squad. We also have a third player there in Yukinari Sugawara, even if his future is still open. Naturally, we’ll also be wishing him and Japan the best of luck.

WERDER.DE: Thanks for your time!