We’re finally getting going again! SV Werder Bremen begin the competitive season on Saturday (20:45 CEST), as the Green-Whites take on FC Carl Zeiss Jena at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld in the DFB-Pokal. “Saturday is the start of our season. Everything is geared towards that,” stressed head coach Florian Kohfeldd. Kohfeldt was keen to emphasise that the season starts here, against the Regionalliga side, and not in next week’s Bundesliga match against Hertha BSC.
Team news: The Green-Whites will travel to Thuringia with close to a full strength squad. As in last season, Werder are led by captain Niklas Moisander, with vice-captain Davy Klaassen back following his injury. However, Kohfeldt will be without two players. Milot Rashica has been deemed too much of a risk to play after his recent recovery from injury, while Jean-Manuel Mbom is sidelined with tonsillitis. Assistant coach Danijel Zenkovic will also miss the trip to Jena’s ‘Paradise’, as he is leading a training group for players who are not in the travelling squad.
The head coach on the game: “We’re fully rested and fresh after this week, so there are absolutely no excuses,” said Florian Kohfeldt ahead of the match. “Jena are already in the rhythm of things, as they’ve played five competitive games,” says the 37-year-old of the Regionalliga side. The difference in class between the two sides is clear for Kohfeldt, however: “The goal and the expectation for this game is to get through this round of the cup. We will have to be focused and dynamic – it’s a matter of keeping our concentration and playing our own game.” Kohfeldt is also sure that the 1,600 fans allowed into the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld will create a special atmosphere: “The atmosphere will be a lot different to the games behind closed doors, and that’s great. Every athlete is looking forward to the moment when the fans can return. Plus we’re playing under the floodlights. There’s a lot of anticipation!”
The last meeting between the two teams: ...cannot be found in the history books, at least not when you look for competitive matches. FC Carl Zeiss Jena, founded in 1966, have never faced SV Werder in a first-team match. However, the Green-Whites’ U23 side have encountered the side from central Germany, most recently in April 2018 in the third division when FC Jena came out 4-2 winners. So in this way, history will be made on Saturday. But Kohfeldt wants to make sure that Jena coach Dirk Kunert will not be able to chalk up this match as a success in their history: "We have to make sure that we don’t give anyone on their side the feeling that an upset is possible.”
Representing Thuringia: FC Carl Zeiss Jena will represent the state of Thuringia in the DFB-Pokal after winning the Köstritzer Pokal. The side won 8-2 against Oberliga team FSV Martinroda to qualify for the first round of the DFB-Pokal, the 19th time they have done so since 1991. Their most recent participation was in 2018/19, when they lost 4-2 to 1. FC Union Berlin in the first round.
Match officials: Due to the ongoing pandemic, the match officials will not be announced until the day of the game. They will be tested for Covid-19 the day before the match and must receive a negative result before being allowed to officiate.
