On one thing, Stefanos Kapino and Florian Kohfeldt disagree. “You must be joking if you say he wins – I win all the time,” said a laughing Kapino on Sunday, after his Bundesliga debut in the Weser Stadion the previous day. The night before, head coach Kohfledt had claimed that, whether table tennis or basketball, he is always the winner.
The fact that Werder’s number two can disagree with the head coach in a light hearted manner speaks volumes about the relationship between the pair. “He trusts me and we speak a lot,” said Kapino, who had to replace an injured Jiri Pavlenka at half time of Werder’s clash with SC Freiburg. “But he does that with almost every single member of the squad. I think that is a big reason why we are where we are,” continued Kapino, as he returned the compliments he received from his coach. After the game, Kohfeldt said “Kapi is not only a fantastic keeper, but also a fantastic guy.”
The Greek goalkeeper had to wait a while for his first outing in a Werder shirt. Shortly after joining Bremen, Kapino suffered a serious injury during a training session in Grassau and missed seventeen Matchdays. However, the 25-year-old worked hard on his recovery and reamiend patient. “It was a fantastic experience to play at the Weser Stadion. I have waited a long time for this moment and it finally came,” said the goalkeeper.”You have to be ready and find your feet quickly into the game.”
My focus is personal development.Stefanos Kapino
And that is exactly what he did. It remains unknown whether Jiri Pavlenka will be available to face Bayern Munich. “I think Pavlas will be fit again and will be able to play. If not, I am ready,” said Kapino as he looked ahead to the “big game” next weekend.
The charismatic Greek, who enjoys a laugh and a joke, is enjoying life in Bremen and feels right at home in the city and within the squad. It was clear to see at full time on Saturday, as Werder’s number 27 celebrated with his teammates. “Of course you want to be the first choice goalkeeper, but my focus is personal development – that what I’m doing here. I am always working hard and developing.
