The good news for Werder fans is that captain Clemens Fritz has put his retirement on hold and extended his contract to stay at Werder for another season despite announcing his retirement in the winter. WERDER.DE caught up with the 35-year-old to find out why.
WERDER.DE: Clemens, you’ve surprised everyone right at the last. You are staying with the Green-Whites for another year, regardless of the league they’re in. Why?
Clemens Fritz: "In the last couple of days the management came to me and we discussed the thought of retiring from retirement, so to speak. When it came down to it I felt that I couldn’t leave the club after a season like this, I have to continue. After the season is over I want to work to make things better. I will show everyone that we are a team and that we can achieve more. If the worst comes to the worst I will guide Werder back to the top division."
WERDER.DE: When did you come to the decision?
Clemens Fritz: "We didn’t have a bad start but it’s been a rollercoaster since then. The wins against Schalke, Leverkusen Wolfsburg and the performance in the semi-final have been very different to how we played against Darmstadt, Ingolstadt and Augsburg. The decision to stay on came after the loss against Augsburg."
WERDER.DE: What have your family and friends said? Have the world trip plans been shelved?
Clemens Fritz: "Despite my announcement I hadn’t even thought about that – my head has stayed here in Bremen and on the club. My friends and family know my thoughts and I have their utmost support."
WERDER.DE: How are you approaching the last three games?
Clemens Fritz: "I’m convinced that we’ll do it. It’s all in our hands because we have the backing of the fans and despite the criticism we’re not on that bad form. We lacked potency in Hamburg. We have determination and will and the work we do will go beyond this season. We need to be self-critical and learn from this season."
