WERDER.DE: “The backroom staff who work with the team, too, who are always even more important.”
Frank Baumann: “The requirements have grown hugely in the last year. There are many areas of football yet to be explored. All clubs have become aware of the fact they must be more professional and hire more and more experts. The days of having just a coach, with an assistant, a goalkeeper coach and a physio are over. We want to create a better overall structure and improve across the board; in athleticism, preparation, recovery and treatment, player and match analysis, and in nutrition. We do not want to go with every new trend, but we always show where we can improve sensibly, and prepare players in the best ways possible.”
WERDER.DE: “What are your expectations for the team this season?”
Thomas Baumann: “That we work every day with enthusiasm and passion, particularly in matches, where we must always give everything.”
WERDER.DE: “Will you set bold targets for this season or will the expectation be something more defensive?
Thomas Baumann: “Together with the coaching staff and the players, we will be bold. In external communication we will remain humble and grounded.”
WERDER.DE: “How should Werder Bremen be led?”
Thomas Baumann: “We want to establish ourselves as a firm fixture in the Bundesliga. We want to be a comfortable mid-table side and build on that foundation of stability. We have to keep reasonable, sensible goals, and maintain our unique culture with the city and the fans. These are the characteristics the club must seek to maintain for the next 20 years. We want to preserve and honour the values synonymous with Werder.”