SV Werder Bremen’s training camp in Zillertal is over, and the team returned to Bremen on Sunday. Wednesday saw Ole Werner’s side train for the first time since the end of the camp. Clemens Fritz, head of scouting and professional football at Werder, spoke to the media on Wednesday afternoon to look ahead to the rest of pre-season and the current state of the squad.
WERDER.DE has all the latest.
... a possible contract extension for Niclas Füllkrug: “As Niclas has already said, we’re on the right path. There’s currently nothing to say on the matter, but it’s possible that that might change in the next couple of days.”
... a possible permanent transfer for Mitchell Weiser: “Mitchell has a good contract in Leverkusen and we haven’t had any changes here. We’re working on solutions of course, and our position is still pretty open. We’re looking at lots of options and preparing for every eventuality.”
... Leo Bittencourt’s mixed season: “There are a couple of reasons why things didn’t go so well for him. He wasn’t able to find his rhythm in pre-season and then had bad luck with injuries. This time round, though, he’s shown how high his standards are and how important he is for us in a verbal sense. More experienced players like him simply march on forward and can take the younger lads along with them.”
... the competition for places in the squad: “The new players have meant that the competition for places within the squad has stepped up massively. The lads have all taken the fight on, though, and are all ready to step up and prove themselves. The fact of the matter is that no player’s game time is set in stone – we want to keep the competition for places fierce.”
... Dikeni Salifou and Manuel Mbom’s injuries: “Both are on the road to recovery. Manuel will be back soon, and Dikeni should return to Bremen on Saturday. He doesn’t have much pain in the area at all, but we want to be as careful as possible. We don’t know how his body will react to an increase of physical workload, so we’re being cautious.”
... the rest of pre-season: “Given that our squad is already very well set up, we want to concentrate on ourselves and strengthen the coordination and confidence within the team. The newer players are getting more and more used to our style of play. Up to now, it’s all gone very well – I’m satisfied with the team’s performance in the training sessions and the camp.”
... Nicolai Rapp as a person: “He’s a real all-rounder, which is an advantage from the start. Versatility is always helpful, especially if the coach has to reshuffle things due to absences. To have someone who can work well in several positions is extremely important.”
... the transfer window in general: “The transfer window is still very much open; we still have time. We’re always more interested in signing a player permanently than bringing them in on loan, but if the opportunity arises, we’d be open to a loan deal too. Permanent signings always offer more value to the club and we’ve been acting on that primarily so far.”
