"Werder is part of the DNA of the region"

SV Werder Bremen have their new head coach. Daniel Thioune has been announced as the successor to Horst Steffen and is set to take charge of his first training session on Wednesday afternoon. The 51-year-old spoke to WERDER.DE about his first impressions of his new employers, his footballing philosophy, and a few former colleagues he’ll be reunited with here in Bremen.

WERDER.DE: Moin, Daniel. You’ve run out here as a player, but this is your first time here as a coach. What are your first impressions of the Weserstadion?

Daniel Thioune: It’s been a while since I last came here. The Ostkurve made plenty of noise back in my day, although the players on the pitch are different now. To be a part of the team, rather than being on the other side, feels pretty good at the moment.

WERDER.DE: You’ll be managing home games here in the future as the new head coach of SV Werder Bremen. How excited are you about your new role?

Daniel Thioune: Fantastic. I’m from Lower Saxony, born in Osnabrück. Werder Bremen is part of the DNA of the region. My father was a huge Bremen fan. The time under Otto Rehhagel was just insane. I remember the tough moments, like Michael Kutzop’s penalty hitting the post. But of course, I also remember the wonderful years when the Werder family brought so much joy to everyone in the world of football.

WERDER.DE: At the beginning of October, a very emotional period for you at Fortuna Düsseldorf came to an end. Have you managed to use the time since to recharge your batteries?

Daniel Thioune: My time at Düsseldorf was very intense and full of highs and lows, like losing the relegation play-off. We always managed to move forward. I used the time after Fortuna to be with my family, recharge and take a breather, but also to look ahead and focus on football. I always had hope that the right moment would come about as soon as possible in the new year.

WERDER.DE: Things have moved pretty quickly over the last few days. Have you been able to get your first impressions of the team yet?

Daniel Thioune: You're always happy when you get a call like that. When Clemens Fritz called me, I was aware that the past few weeks had not gone so well. After that, you can start to look more at the team. I know a lot of the players already, some better than others. I’ve already coached Felix Agu, so I know him well. You can then get a feel for some of the other players and start to show the management the way things are going to go and how you’re going to get back on the road to success.

WERDER.DE: As well as Felix Agu, you already know Christian Groß and other guys from the coaching team, having worked together in Osnabrück. Does that make the move easier for you?

Daniel Thioune: At least at the start, for sure, just to help me understand how SV Werder Bremen works. Christian Groß was my captain at Osnabrück before he moved to Werder’s U23s, and then he began his Bundesliga career here – he’ll definitely be an important port of call for me. There’s also Henrik Frach, the fitness coach, and Claas Bente (editor’s note: physiotherapist), who will make it easier to settle in here. They’re great guys, who I’ve come across before in my career so far.

WERDER.DE: What kind of football does Daniel Thioune stand for?

Daniel Thioune: Focusing purely on results would be too basic for me. I want us to move the ball forward rapidly – prioritising vertical play over width – and to break opposition lines as quickly as possible. That’s how we’ll create chances. As a former striker, you always want to score one more than the opposition rather than worry about what you might concede. Everything has to be balanced and played with real intensity. We need to be energetic and show that there’s a team on the pitch willing to run itself into the ground.

WERDER.DE: You haven’t got long to prepare before your next challenge. On Saturday, you head down to the Europa-Park Stadion to play Freiburg away. How much of your philosophy will be on display by that point?

Daniel Thioune: The most important thing is not the philosophy I want to play with, but how we’re able to implement it on the pitch and how we can put in a convincing performance. Results-wise, the last few weeks have been difficult here, although in most cases the games have been evenly-matched in how they’ve been played out. It’s about demonstrating that we can be significantly more successful in our end result, even if this just comes down to nuances of the game. I won’t be able to completely solve all the issues that have been present over the last three months. Horst Steffen has left behind a great squad and a great staff, which the assistant coaches have been taking care of in the last few days. It’s not all about trying to avoid making it 11 games without a victory, rather trying to get started in a run of 14 games that we can win. I’m going to help the lads on this path in the next few days and then we’ll be working even closer over the coming weeks.

WERDER.DE: Good luck, Daniel!