The central defender has taken a stance which can be echoed by the whole squad. “We do not want to think about the possible outcome, just concentrate on the remaining four games,” said Frank Baumann. Alexander Nouri also explained the current position in the table as a chance rather than a requirement. “I see that as a very positive bonus. It will be worth throwing ourselves into it.”
Far and wide there is no sense of pressure. Far from it. It can have the complete opposite effect. We are not afraid of not qualifying for Europe,“ said Nouri, explaining the approach his players will take. “The excitement of achieving a goal can sometimes to the players wanting it too much. We feel ready and want to keep building on this foundation we have created,” said the Werder coach during Thursday’s press conference.
The next chance to do this comes in the form of a home game against Hertha BSC, a fellow challenger for Europe, on Saturday afternoon. The club from the capital have been inside the European placings since the first matchday, but have lost the last eight away games in the Bundesliga. The pressure on Pal Dardai’s team will be greater.