The door to the gym opens every 45 minutes. A lot of work happens here in the depths of the Weser-Stadion. It’s all hands on deck for head of athletic performance Axel Dörrfuß especially at this time of year, as he welcomes in players to take their fitness tests in 45 minute intervals. But what happens behind the scenes throughout the first few days of the preseason? We provide an overview.
It was still the case a few years ago that the official beginning of the preseason was marked by an obligatory fitness test run by the coaching staff at Werder’s “Platz 11” stadium. Those times are gone. Much like in other areas, the science surrounding performance analysis has progressed hugely. “We measure the players’ breathing, while also holding various jumping and agility tests,” explains head coach Florian Kohfeldt. Also on the agenda is a dental check-up, a sight test - and also for the first time this summer, cognitive tests.
The Green-Whites will also undergo heart and kidney tests in one and a half days. That’s how long it will take for all individual players to make it through their personal program. The team isn’t going to be going out on to the training pitch in the middle of the week, however. Werder are going about the start of their preseason in a bold new way. While other Bundesliga clubs have already got their training camps underway and come together, Werder’s coaching staff has decided to start things off with much more of an individual tone. “We will start training individually at first, so that the players are not only prepared as best as possible for group sessions but also because there was a quite a long break due to the World Cup,” explains Kohfeldt.
It’s like Werder are having a pre-pre-season. “It’s about activating all parts of the body again, so that we minimize the chances of injuries occurring,” says Kohfeldt. Training will properly kick off on Sunday morning. Until then, the Green-Whites will continue to train in small groups. It’s still a little while longer until the real action happens at the Weser-Stadion once again.
