“To us, Bremen is home”

Romano Schmid first became a Werder Bremen player over seven and a half years ago. It’s been a rollercoaster ride – ecstatic highs and crushing lows, promotion and relegation, building a family and breaking into the national side. The time has now come for the Austrian to take the next step in his footballing journey. In his farewell interview, the 26-year-old spoke about his years at SVW, his connection to Bremen and how he’s developed in his time here, both as a player and as a person.

WERDER.DE: Moin, Romano! More than seven years at Werder are coming to an end now. Let’s take a look back at your time on the Weser. You were signed in 2019, then loaned out, then we had the relegation, and then promotion. Already in your first few years here, you went through a lot. How do you look back on all this time?

Romano Schmid: The bits you mention are only a small fraction of the whole story. So much has happened over all these years. I’ve grown into someone who represents his national side, I’ve played at the European Championship and the World Cup. Then, of course, the most important part of my life – my first son was born here in Bremen. My family and I feel like we’re truly at home here. For that reason, leaving is going to be incredibly difficult, but I feel really positive about my years in Bremen. I will need a bit more time, though, to fully come to terms with it all.

WERDER.DE: How do you feel you’ve come on as a player here?

Romano Schmid: The sporting perspective is always crucial, but the human side is huge as well. I arrived as a young man, certainly a little rough around the edges. I’d say I’ve been able to refine that side of me in recent years, even purely as a result of growing older. I really developed a lot as a player in the first season after getting relegated with Werder. The first year in the top flight still had its ups and downs, but after that I was playing all the time. We had two fantastic seasons under Ole Werner. The most positive time on the pitch was our final season under Ole, where we managed to rack up 51 points. You really felt that we were getting very close to where the club deserves to be.

“Shed many tears when the move was confirmed”

WERDER.DE: Why now? Why do you think this is the right moment for you to move on?

Romano Schmid: That’s a difficult one to answer. It’s definitely a few things coming together. Firstly, there’s the chance to play in a country that I’ve always dreamed of being in. Secondly, the opportunity to join a new project, something I even decided against doing two years ago. Back then, I felt it was right to stay here. Last season was a really difficult one for me. I can’t say for certain why now is the perfect time to go. I still have one year on my current contract. Everyone is aware that the club isn’t in the easiest of situations. The transfer makes sense for everyone involved, then, and I can help Werder a little through this decision.

WERDER.DE: You’ve already mentioned the changes in your personal life. Since signing for Werder, you’ve married your wife and become a father twice. What does Bremen mean to you and your family? What are you all feeling as you get ready to leave the city behind?

Romano Schmid: To us, Bremen is home. Whenever my wife returns from holiday or comes back from Graz, she says that Bremen is actually where she feels most at home. You can imagine, then, that she shed many tears when the move was confirmed. It’s really sad for us, saying goodbye, as this club and the city are so dear to us. We’ve always wanted to live in Italy, though, and so we made the decision to take this step.

WERDER.DE: You say that you arrived somewhat rough around the edges. How have you grown as a person over the seven and a half years here?

Romano Schmid: I’ve always been extremely ambitious, my whole life I’ve been this way. Perhaps too ambitious, to be honest. I used to get frustrated much too quickly. I still feel frustrated when I lose, but over these years I’ve got much better at managing that. I’ve become a lot calmer, I’m more thoughtful in how I speak now. I’ve helped so many younger players. That’s been one of my key goals in recent years, to support the lads. On a personal level, I’ve managed to do that really well.

WERDER.DE: An Austrian is never alone here at Werder. How did you find it, always having plenty of compatriots around you? Why do you think Austrians love it so much here on the Weser?

Romano Schmid: I’m not entirely sure why we all feel so comfortable here, but it’s always been something special, I knew that right back when I signed my contract. Every low point here, I’ve gone through together with Marco Friedl. It has been a very special time with friends who I’ve known for so long now. I was in the U20s with Marco Grüll, Alexander Schlager is here now, and last season we also had Maximilian Wöber with us. You automatically feel more settled if you’re surrounded by people who’ve known you forever and remember how you used to be when you were younger.

WERDER.DE: How much will you miss the Austrian contingent and your other teammates here on the Weser? Which friendships will you hold onto?

Romano Schmid: I’ll miss everybody. All the lads, for example, with whom I used to sit in the dressing room last year, at times almost all breaking down into tears, as it was such a difficult period for us. Painful moments like that bind you together just as much as the successes do. I really felt that just recently, as I returned from the World Cup. As I mentioned, Marco has been alongside me for my entire journey here. We’ve also had our fair share of disagreements, simply because we’re both unbelievably ambitious. I’ve had a lot of fun with Marco Grüll, and I’ve also really enjoyed his conversation. I’ll also miss the Belgians, and Jens too, my partner-in-crime on the pitch. He’s been really important for me in recent years, not just as a teammate but on a personal level as well. He’s always believed in me, even when things weren’t going so well for me off the pitch. Then, of course, there are the lads who have already moved on. Michael Zetterer, Leonardo Bittencourt and Marvin Ducksch, all of whom I spent many years playing alongside.

WERDER.DE: Which moments as a Werder player will stick in your mind the most?

Romano Schmid: Probably when we came straight back up after being relegated, because you could really see just what this club is capable of, what it can stir up – how the city lives for football and for this team in a time like that. That’s something I’ll never forget. There are a lot of things that come to mind, though. Things that just happen on a daily basis, for example, or the day we dropped out of the Bundesliga, which was such a painful experience. When you hit rock bottom, though, the only way is up, and we proved that together.

WERDER.DE: Time for a few farewell words, then. What would you like to say to the supporters?

Romano Schmid: Dear Werder fans, it’s so difficult for me to find the words to match up to everything we’ve experienced together over the last seven and a half years. I’ve lived and breathed this club. I wanted to win every game for you, and I always tried to give it one hundred percent. We’ve had some truly unbelievable games, we’ve celebrated huge successes, and we’ve shared a lot of pain, too. I’m grateful for every single person who’s stood by me and this team, even when things weren’t going well here. I wish you all and the club nothing but the best. I’ll follow Werder for the rest of my life, this club just means so much to me. I hope that you look back fondly upon my time here, just as I’ll always remember you as fans. I shall miss you.

WERDER.DE: We will miss you too, Romano. We also wish you the absolute best going forward, of course. Thank you for everything!