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“The team want to show a different side”
DANIEL THIOUNE AND CLEMENS FRITZ REFLECT ON THE OPENING TRAINING SESSION OF PRE-SEASON
12/07/26 | 3 Min
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The first training session of the 2026/27 pre-season is complete, with 41 days now remaining until Werder’s opening competitive fixture of the term away to Lüneburger SK Hansa in the DFB-Pokal. Head coach Daniel Thioune and managing director of football Clemens Fritz spoke to WERDER.TV after the session about…
…the first day back:
Daniel Thioune: “I’ve been itching to get back out on the pitch. I enjoyed watching the World Cup, but being out there and getting to work myself is even better. Plenty of supporters came along to watch us train in the sunshine. It was a positive start, with many more sessions still to come.”
Clemens Fritz: “I’d been looking forward to it. It was important for the players and staff to switch off and recharge their batteries. When I saw everyone this morning, I could sense a really positive energy and that they were all excited to be back.”
…the new signings:
Daniel Thioune: “I’ve been following them for some time and was involved in the process of identifying them, so their first impressions haven’t come as a surprise to me. There is plenty for us to build on, and in a few weeks’ time we’ll be in a better position to assess just how much they can strengthen us.”
Clemens Fritz: “They’ve settled in well. I’ve come away with a very positive impression from my conversations with each of them. They’re good characters who are eager to keep improving.”
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…Thioune's first pre-season as head coach:
Daniel Thioune: “The players were very open with me when I arrived, and I expect that to continue. My task at the time was clear: to make sure we didn’t end up in the second division, and we achieved that. Having a full pre-season gives you the opportunity to introduce ideas and develop something together with the team. The two training camps will give us an excellent chance to work on details that we simply didn’t have time for a few months ago. People will then begin to see a clearer identity and what we want to be as a team.”
Clemens Fritz: “Our aim was to complete transfers early so that we could have as much of the squad together as possible from the start. The internationals are still missing at the moment, and there will be one or two further changes. We appointed Daniel because he has a clear playing philosophy and communicates it well. Until now, there simply hasn’t been enough time or the right circumstances for him to put his stamp on the team.”
…what the fans can look forward to:
Daniel Thioune: “Hopefully plenty of great games, both home and away, week after week. The team want to show a different side to the one they showed last season. We managed to avoid the worst-case scenario, and now we’re feeling positive and no longer looking back. We’re excited about what lies ahead and will work hard to make sure we can all feel much better about our showing in the coming season.”
Clemens Fritz: “We want to play intense, proactive, aggressive and attacking football. We have a lot of young players whom we want to help develop, but we’ve also added experience in Cedi Itten and Alex Schlager, so there is a good balance. The important thing is that we gel as quickly as possible. Then, ideally, we want to entertain the supporters while also getting results.”
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