It’s been about 14 weeks since the heart-stopping season finale against Frankfurt. During the break, you have time to process these events, prepare yourself for the new season and above all begin to anticipate the challenges up ahead. Werder begin their new season on Sunday with their first-round DFB Cup tie in Lotte. “I’m excited to finally get going again,” said sporting director Frank Baumann at the pre-match press conference.
In the last few weeks of intensive training, head coach Viktor Skripnik has observed a pronounced level of anticipation develop among his players. “The unpleasant period is over," said the boss. “Team morale here is superb. We have had a long break and a lot of preparation to do. Now there is a lot of excitement for the beginning of the new season.”
Team morale is high and you can sense the anticipation. However, Baumann has stressed that the team can’t be so sure of themselves against the third division team. “The right attitude is essential. It’s important that we stay focused at all times, fight for every ball, to not let anyone through our defence and to bring quality in our attack - with necessary commitment and consistency upfront.” Skripnik spoke in a similar vein. “Everything depends on our performance. If we have the right attitude and focus, we could have a brilliant day.”
