Werder Bremen’s new head coach, Markus Anfang, gave his official introductory press conference on Sunday afternoon. “It's really special for me to be sitting here. The city, the club and the fans are superb,” said the new boss, who wants to approach the challenges of life in the second division with enthusiasm. “It's a great challenge in an outstanding league. I am really ambitious and I want to be successful with Werder.”
WERDER.DE collects all the important quotes.
…taking the hot seat: "I am really happy to be sitting here. It's something special to be allowed to coach Werder Bremen. I'm feeling positive and I am looking forward to growing something from this tough situation, helping out and achieving results. For me, Werder has a certain aura. It's a special club given its history. I've always had a soft spot for this club. The city and the surroundings are fantastic too.”
...the second division: "It's an attractive looking second tier next season with lots of top clubs who have played a big role in the Bundesliga in the past. It will be a great challenge and an extraordinary task.”
…his playing philosophy: “With my way of playing, I always want to play good, attractive football on the front foot. We want to dictate things and not be so reactive. Especially as favourites, you need solutions when you have the ball. The lads should develop, play good football and have fun. Only then can you achieve good results.”
…squad planning: "We obviously haven't assembled a clear squad yet. In our short time together we've not been able to discuss things too intensely, but we will go through our plans for the squad together. We are aware that we won't be able to pick and choose players, however. We have to put together a side that is ready for the Bundesliga 2 and that can lead the way into the future. Things like mentality, quality and stability will be required. What's important is that we build a certain core, that we have a real heart of the team. The other players can then relate to that.”
…his mission: “Relegation to the Bundesliga 2 is a blow that nobody wanted. But wounds always heal, it just takes time. We need to get back to having positive experiences and positive results. If we play good football then the players’ confidence will come back too. I hope we can play in front of fans again soon. The team can draw on the positive energy of the fans and we can get out of this tough situation together. It's also a good chance to analyse everything and approach some things in a new way. We can keep the good things going and change other factors for the better. We can start a process of development. It's always possible to bounce right back. I have my eyes on the prize but I'm also realistic that nothing is achieved overnight.”
…his coaching style: "I am really ambitious, I want to be successful. I can't expect that from the team if I don't put it into practice myself. In certain situations I can remain calm, but at other times I can be very emotional. At the end of the day you have to figure out what the team needs. You need a certain empathy to lift the players. My ambitions chime with Werder’s. Obviously I’d like to be a coach in the top flight and, together with the club and the fans, I will do everything I can to fight our way back up. We can't lose sight of that aim.”
