Straight to the point

Skripnik, Baumann and Fritz on the latest news

Sporting director Frank Baumann and Werder’s head coach Viktor Skripnik at the press conference. (photo: WERDER.DE)
First Team
Friday, 08.07.2016 / 17:37

Football fans are looking forward to the beginning of the Bundesliga season that bit more now that Germany have been eliminated from the European Championship. Things have been going on behind the scenes at Werder during this time with transfers being secured and contract extensions being signed. There is a lot of news for Werder fans. Head coach Viktor Skripnik, captain Clemens Fritz and Sporting director Frank Baumann took to the stage to answer questions from the press ahead of the coming season. WERDER.DE has rounded up what they said on the most important topics

The beginning of training:

New recruit Florian Kainz in the midst of his performance tests (photo: WERDER.DE).

Clemens Fritz: “The anticipation is huge! There was a lot to talk about on the first day back. It’s great to see everyone again after such a long holiday. It occurred to me two or three weeks ago that things would be kicking off again soon.” 

Viktor Skripnik: “The three players who participated in EURO 2016 will return later but everyone else was there. I was happy to start again after the long break. Our batteries are all fully recharged. And the enthusiasm to play football is there. Now it begins!” 

Last season:

Viktor Skripnik: “We evaluated the entire coaching staff intensively after last season. We lacked consistency. The final home games have given us hope though. We want to play consistently with the support of our fans. We also have to accept how it went. It’s alright to be critical. We would have liked to have secured safety earlier but we reached our goal eventually. It was dicey on a few occasions last season but we deserved to stay up. I am ready, open and optimistic ahead of the new season.”  

Clemens Fritz: “We don’t want to have a season like that again. It was a bit of a rollercoaster ride last season, with poor performances often following good ones. It was really intense. The final weeks were massively difficult and it took a long time to calm down after it.”    

The first match of the season in Munich:

Viktor Skripnik: “Playing against an attractive opponent on a Friday night in our first match of the season is one of the best things that could have happened to us. It isn’t only an eye catching match in Germany but also abroad. We want to do more than just swap shirts with Bayern.” 

Clemens Fritz: “Everyone knows how it goes. It is a big stage to prove yourself on. We can look forward to the first match of the season against the champions.” 

Aims for the 2016/17 season:

Frank Baumann: “It’s a bit early to know what our overall goal for the season is. The have been changes in the squad. The pre-season will allow us to have more of an idea where we stand. We saved ourselves on the final day last season. This year we want to be more stable and make sure that we have a calmer season. If you want an aim for the season right now that is the most reasonable.” 

Clemens Fritz: “We want to have more consistency in our performances. The last season had plenty of ups and downs with both good and bad performances. We want to reach the 40 point mark as quickly as possible.” 

Alejandro Galvez and Luca Caldirola:

Luca Caldirola returned from Darmstadt yesterday and took part in the start of pre-season training (photo: nordphoto).

Frank Baumann: “It’s a normal occurance if a player does an interview in their home town and is asked whether they can imagine themselves playing for their hometown club again – if I was in Wurzburg and they asked me that question I would say yes as well. We are very relaxed about it. It’s likely he would maybe say something else if he was interviewed in Bremen. Luca Caldirola is in our plans for the future. We have been in touch with the players and their agents and they have clearly stated that the lads have been working intensely over the holiday, in order to play an important part here.”  

Fin Bartels' contract extension:

Viktor Skripnik: “I’ve said once before that Fin is our fairytale. I want to re-emphasize how important his seven goals were for us. Werder are not the only club that need a Fin Bartels, other Bundesliga clubs also need a similar style of player. I am happy that he has extended his contract.”  

Frank Baumann: “It’s important that we have agreed a deal with Fin. He is very versatile from a footballing perspective, has a lot of quality and is an important player. He is also a great character to have in the team.” 

Fallou Diagne:

Frank Baumann: “We have agreed personal terms with Fallou but now need to finalise an agreement with Stade Rennes. We will definitely be able to announce more on the move soon. We are optimistic that it won’t take too much longer for us to bring in another central defender.” 

László Kleinheisler:

Viktor Skripnik: “You can see the potential he has. He came to Bremen without any training or match practice. The Bundesliga isn’t as easy as it maybe looks on the TV. Especially for foreign players – I know that from my own experience. You are happier if there is someone who comes from the same country or speaks the same language in the team. Kleinheisler is a player who has the opportunity to get a lot of game time.”  

Niklas Schmidt signing:

Frank Baumann: “Niklas will be able to take the next step with us. He has caught the eye for our youth teams and at international level. He will be brought up to train with the U23s next season even though he could still play for the U19s. We want to bring him through the men’s teams bit by bit.”    

New recruits:

Viktor Skripnik: “We are expecting the new recruits to improve the squad. Florian Kainz has shown his quality in Austria. We lacked a final ball and finishing last season and Kainz will hopefully help us to improve on that. Fallou Diagne will also be an asset to the team with his experience from playing in France. Lennart Thy and Justin Eilers aren’t afraid of anyone, get stuck in and will prove themselves in the Bundesliga.  

Clemens Fritz: “Lennart Thy will be able to contribute for us. We will definitely find an evening following our pre-season where we can sit down together for a meal and the new boys will have to keep us entertained. It is something that is good for getting to know people. Pizarro has had to do it on three different occasions so Lennart will also have to.  

Germany’s semi-final defeat:

Viktor Skripnik: “The semi-final was an intense game. The French had a strong plan, used their chances and deserved to progress to the final.” 

Clemens Fritz: “Getting eliminated from the European Championship is definitely a shame. Germany did a lot of good football and there was certainly more in it for them. It’s two years to the next tournament now though – that’s how football is.” 

Frank Baumann: “It’s annoying as Germany had enough chances to score. It was more than possible. Momentum was very important for France though,”  

 

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