The players are getting back together, the new faces are being integrated into the squad and the first training session is taking place. As the preparation for next season gets underway, Ole Werner speaks in the mixed zone about the Bundesliga and the sense of anticipation in the dressing room.
It won’t take the Werder coach long to get into the swing of things as training gets underway on Wednesday. Productive talks have already taken place throughout the summer about how things will proceed. The transfers of Dikeni Salifou, Amos Pieper and Niklas Stark have been signed, sealed and delivered and the club are also looking to strengthen in other positions. The hard work is being put in behind the scenes to ensure a successful return to the top flight. "I am delighted that we are playing in the top flight. We don't just want to take part. We want to prove that we can compete, show that we can be successful and achieve our goals."
Even though coaching in the Bundesliga will be a new experience for Werner, he is far from nervous about the challenges that lie ahead: "It is a new league for me too. We will be coming up against teams that we have not yet played, so you have to prepare for them in more detail. There are also new coaches that we will have to adjust to. This, however, doesn’t make me nervous, it makes me excited,” said the gaffer.
Despite all the excitement, however, Ole Werner is still aware that there are certain areas of the squad that need strengthening: “We are looking at both flanks, maybe also in central-midfield. We could certainly strengthen at the top of the pitch as well. I think that we have already taken a good first step with the players that we have already signed. I am delighted that they are with us. But in the next couple of weeks a bit more will be happening,” explained Werner. The head coach is also aware of the parameters that he has to work with: “Our role is pretty clear. We are one of the smaller teams in the division in terms of finances. It is important to attract the right players to Werder Bremen that fit into our financial framework.”
This will not get in the way of anyone’s preparation at Werder, however. “We take care of our issues and in our preparation we will determine how we want to perform on the pitch and how we will play football. We want to maintain a lot of the elements from last season. We will certainly have to adapt to certain things and to the individual quality of our opponents but the basic structure of our preparation will not be too different,” said Werner. The gaffer stresses, however, that the team needs to be fit and physically well-prepared: “That’s one of reasons why we have started our preparation early and why we have started quite some time before our first match.”
The captaincy is also up for grabs after the departure of Ömer Toprak. Werner, however, does not want to choose the new skipper on his own. “That will be decided when the group has come together and when we know each other, so we can come to a good decision. We want a team council with good characters that can lead the team effectively. I will appoint the team council, from which the captain will then be elected.”
The coach is also weary of comparing the new captain to Ömer Toprak: “It’s a new season now with a new structure both on and off the pitch. That is normal and it is a good opportunity for change. You also need the space for development as a team. It is not good to compare players with each other because other players take responsibility in different ways. Nevertheless, Ömer was an outstanding captain for us.”
![[Translate to Englisch:] Cheftrainer Ole Werner im PK-Raum des wohninvest WESERSTADIONS.](https://werdercdn.azureedge.net/typo3temp/assets/_processed_/9/5/csm_4ed52e9877baba70caf953ed7ea42ebc262adacd-fp-1000-600-10-3_9a2d52fa8e.jpg)
