On Tuesday morning, the Green-Whites set off for their final training camp in Herzlake. In the small community in Emsland, with a population of 4,200, Viktor Skripnik’s team will spend the next few days preparing for the start of the season in two weeks time.
On Tuesday morning, the Green-Whites set off for their final training camp in Herzlake. In the small community in Emsland, with a population of 4,200, Viktor Skripnik’s team will spend the next few days preparing for the start of the season in two weeks time.
Herzlake has always been associated with very tough and painful sessions, especially under ex Werder coach Felix Magath. However, Pizarro, Kruse und Co. won’t have to worry about that this time around. “We have already put a lot of work into fitness, and so the most difficult part of pre-season is behind us. Now the focus lies on tactical work. The short training camp is perfect not just for our work on the pitch, but also for concentrating on team meetings and video analysis”, explained Frank Baumann, sporting director.
The coaching staff are taking almost the entire squad to Herzlake and everyone will be working closely to deal with the remaining issues. After a number of injuries, several players have rejoined the team in the past few weeks. New signings Niklas Moisander, Max Kruse and Lamine Sané have only been taking part in training for a very short period of time. “In Herzlake and at the start of the season, it is important that the team start to come together as a unit. Therefore, it is important that we travel as one complete team”, says Baumann.
The facilities on offer are top quality. “The hotel is used to accommodating football teams. You leave the hotel and walk straight onto the training pitch. It was also important to us that we were close to the fans. Herzlake is not too far from home and above all, we want to present ourselves to the Green-White followers in our friendlies in Meppen and Lohne”, clarifies Baumann.
Because of injury, Michael Zetterer, Laszlo Kleinheisler, Milos Veljkovic and Justin Eilers are not travelling to Herzlake. Melvyn Lorenzen, who is gathering match practice with the U23s in the third-division match against Zwickau, will also not take part in the training camp. Meanwhile, Eric Oelschlägel is on international duty with the Germany Olympic squad in Brazil.
These 28 players are taking part in the training camp:
Felix Wiedwald, Jaroslav Drobny, Raphael Wolf – Santiago García, Luca Caldirola, Sambou Yatabaré, Florian Kainz, Clemens Fritz, Aron Jóhannsson, Max Kruse, Lennart Thy, Claudio Pizarro, Izet Hajrovic, Zlatko Junuzovic, Niklas Moisander, Ulisses García, Fallou Diagne, Fin Bartels, Theodor Gebre Selassie, Johannes Eggestein, Thanos Petsos, Lamine Sané, Florian Grillitsch, Leon Guwara, Maximilian Eggestein, Janek Sternberg, Lukas Fröde and Philipp Bargfrede.
