Werder captain Clemens Fritz announced on Monday afternoon that he will retire from football in the summer.
Werder captain Clemens Fritz announced on Monday afternoon that he will retire from football in the summer.
“I’ve had time whilst I’ve been injured to have a good think about my future and to listen to what my body’s telling me. Unfortunately, I still have ongoing problems with my ankle and that means that despite wanting to carry on, I won’t be able to re-gain full fitness and will not continue my career beyond this summer,” said the Werder captain. He continued, “The fact that the club has secured its position in my absence made this decision easier for me. It was a great honour to wear the green and white of Werder Bremen.”
“Clemens Fritz has been the heart and soul of Werder for a number of years and has been an iconic figure for the club. Therefore, it is with regret that we hear of his decision. Through his contract with us we will continue to work with Clemens and use his experience, passion and knowledge of the club. We’ll finalise his exact role and what that will involve over the coming months,” said sporting director Frank Baumann.
Clemens Fritz joined Werder from Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the summer of 2006 and has worn the captain’s armband since 2011. The Erfurt born full-back has played 368 matches for Werder, 288 of those were in the Bundesliga. Fritz also represented Werder in the DFB Pokal and the Champions League and captained Werder in the 2009 UEFA Cup final.
