“It sounds crazy to say, but I’m grateful for the experience”

It has now been more than a year since the day that changed everything for Mitchell Weiser. On 16th July 2025, he tore his ACL during training, experiencing a serious injury of a kind he had never faced before in his career. Weiser returned to parts of team training during Werder’s training camp in Zillertal, although his rehabilitation is not yet complete. In an interview with WERDER.DE, the 32-year-old explains why he sees the injury as the “final piece of the puzzle”, which fellow footballers he spoke to about their own rehabilitation experiences and what he wants to appreciate more during the remainder of his career.

WERDER.DE: Moin Mitch. You used some of your free afternoons in Zillertal to play golf. Were you happy with how you played?

Mitchell Weiser: Yeah, actually (smiles). It went pretty well. In golf, you’re really playing against yourself rather than the other person. I was definitely quite happy with it.

WERDER.DE: Patience is important on the golf course too. Are you a patient person?

Mitchell Weiser: Sometimes. More so on some days than others.

WERDER.DE: Your ACL injury forced you to learn to be patient.

Mitchell Weiser: I knew from the start that it was going to take a long time. But of course there are moments when you get impatient. You start asking yourself: Why is it taking so long? Why does it still not feel right? I didn’t put too much pressure on myself, but one of my big goals was to come back before the end of last season. When that didn’t happen, I did go through a bit of a low.

WERDER.DE: Looking back now, do you think it may actually have been a good thing that you gave yourself more time?

Mitchell Weiser: Yes, that’s how I see it now. I was aiming for something close to perfection with my recovery, and maybe that was the wrong way to approach it. It was difficult to accept that I wasn’t going to play again last season. Looking back, my body was telling me that it was too soon. I feel completely different now compared to three months ago.

WERDER.DE: Your body goes through a lot as a professional footballer. You went a long time without any major injuries. How much of a shock was the diagnosis?

Mitchell Weiser: I now basically see it as the final piece of the puzzle that was still missing. I’ve been through a lot in my career, but never anything like this. I can look at it positively now because I’ve learnt so much from it. I’ve taken a lot from this period, and the process still isn’t over yet. It sounds crazy to say, but I’m grateful for the experience.

WERDER.DE: Some people might find that surprising.

Mitchell Weiser: Definitely. Every day, you picture what it’ll be like to get back out on the pitch. I genuinely didn’t put pressure on myself, but that brings us back to patience again. I’d had ligament injuries and other little niggles before, but this was completely different. A lot of it is about making sure, day by day, that your body is getting back to normal. To do that, you also need to find the right mental balance every single day.

WERDER.DE: Did it help to talk about it?

Mitchell Weiser: You can talk to your family about it, and of course that helps. But you’re still driving to training on your own every day and spending the first six to eight months doing the most boring exercises imaginable until, eventually, you finally get back out on the pitch. Even running felt strange at first. But the whole experience has taught me a lot.

WERDER.DE: What kind of things?

Mitchell Weiser: There are a lot of things, although some of them I’d rather keep to myself. One thing I did realise from watching the games was just how special what we do really is. We didn’t have a good season, but I still found myself thinking how incredible it is to play in front of 42,000 fans at the Weserstadion. Over time, you can lose sight of that. For however long I’ve got left in my career, and hopefully that’s still a good few years, I want to make sure I enjoy it even more.

WERDER.DE: Were there moments during that time when you had doubts?

Mitchell Weiser: Of course. That’s completely normal. You ask yourself: What if it never gets better? I’ve learnt that it’s absolutely fine to have doubts and to admit that to yourself. You just have to learn how to deal with them. It makes life easier and a lot less stressful.

WERDER.DE: You returned to team training in Zillertal. What was it like to reach such an important milestone?

Mitchell Weiser: It was really special. I’m obviously not back in full training yet, but just being out there with the lads again was a great feeling. I’d still been in the dressing room before that, having the same laughs as always, but I’d missed being back out on the pitch and joking around with the lads. I’m enjoying that again straight away.

WERDER.DE: The fans at the Parkstadion gave you a great reception time and again. Are moments like that also a reminder that extending your contract with Werder was the right decision?

Mitchell Weiser: Yes, definitely. It means a lot to me to be welcomed back like that by the fans. It wasn’t an easy situation because my contract was expiring and I’d wanted the chance to show what I could do again beforehand. More than anything, though, I just felt that my time here wasn’t over yet.

"I can already feel that I want to do more, but I’m also pretty good at keeping myself in check."

WERDER.DE: You mentioned yourself that you’re not at the end of the road yet. How quickly do you think you can get back to your best?

Mitchell Weiser: It’s difficult to say. After the first few training sessions, I can already feel that I want to do more, but I’m also pretty good at keeping myself in check. Even once I’ve played my first game again, it’ll still take time. The most important thing is to avoid any new injuries that could set me back. I’m working hard to make sure that doesn’t happen and to get back to my best as quickly as possible.

WERDER.DE: You’ve also spoken to other players who have been through similar injuries.

Mitchell Weiser: You realise pretty quickly that other people’s recoveries aren’t always straightforward either. You can’t start putting pressure on yourself, because they always say it takes about as long as you were out injured to get back to your old level. I’ve spoken to David Alaba, Grischa Prömel, who has come back really well, and Senne too. Whenever I had a bit more discomfort, I’d ask them what it had been like for them. Knowing that they’ve been through it and made it back gives me a lot of reassurance. It makes me confident that I can do the same.

WERDER.DE: Earlier, you talked about picturing your comeback in your head. What did you imagine?

Mitchell Weiser: Coming on and scoring a goal (laughs). I’ve been picturing that for the last 12 months. But of course, coming back isn’t just about one moment. It’s another process. More than anything, I can draw a lot of strength from everything I’ve been through and come back better than I was before.

WERDER.DE: We wish you all the best with the rest of your recovery. Thanks for your time, Mitch!