Micheal Zetterer has worked hard and waited patiently for his chance to take up the mantle as Werder’s first-choice goalkeeper. The 29-year-old didn’t miss a minute for the Green-Whites in 2024 and is a key figure in the team’s build-up play. In an end-of-year interview, Werder’s number 1 reflects on the year that was, while also looking ahead at what’s to come.
Moin Zetti. Do you know why the 27th of January will be a special day for you?
Michael Zetterer: (Thinking) Probably because that will mark a decade that I’ve been in Bremen?
WERDER.DE: Correct. Have there ever been times where you’ve regretted this step?
Michael Zetterer: No (laughs). 100% no. There were times where it seemed as though the dream that I’d come here to pursue wouldn’t be realised. But, with the way things happened and changed, it turned out that it was exactly the right step for me to take. This time has since shaped me into the person I am today.
WERDER.DE: Including two loan spells, it took nearly six and a half years for you to make your first appearance for the first team, while you’ve been the team’s first-choice goalkeeper since last year. How patient did you have to be during this time?
Michael Zetterer: In our current world, it’s unusual that anyone would even spend so much time at a club. On the other hand, I also wasn’t expecting to play much during my first years here as a young goalkeeper. The plan was to be part of the first-team squad and to earn promotion with the U23s to get regular match practice in the 3. Liga. Everything was going pretty well, until I started having to deal with injuries. What kept me going during that time was my belief that I would be able to achieve my goal here.
WERDER.DE: You are the only Werder player to not have missed a minute in 2024. Now that the new year is upon us, is there a game in particular that you enjoy looking back on?
Michael Zetterer: Looking back on the year as a whole, I’d say definitely the game in Munich. It’s no secret that that’s where I’m from and that several of my friends and family members were at the game. To win there with Werder for the first time in over 15 years and to keep a clean sheet was really something special. It was one of the best games of my entire career. This season, the game against Hoffenheim was just crazy based on how it went, but the game away at St. Pauli was also something special due to the atmosphere the fans created.
WERDER.DE: After a small dip in form last spring, the team have been enjoying steady success since late April. What’s been the reason for the strong performances since then?
Michael Zetterer: It might actually be due to the slump we experienced just before, because we never lost faith in ourselves. If you ignore the games against Gladbach and Bayern, we’re making good progress in terms of our growth as a team at the minute. Together with the coaching staff, we’ve proven for a while now that there’s something unique about our team. I also want to highlight the work that Yasin [Seiwasser] (Ed. note: Mental and breathing coach) has done, because it’s not the norm that his work would be regarded so highly within a team with several different interests and cultures.
Being mentally strong is an extremely important trait for a goalkeeper.
WERDER.DE: It’s often said that your skills on the ball make you a key figure in Werder’s build-up play. In order to play as an attacking-minded goalkeeper, you can’t allow yourself to doubt your abilities.
Michael Zetterer: Being mentally strong is an extremely important trait for a goalkeeper. A pass that a striker can’t control properly ushers in a high-risk scenario for us. If you do make a mistake, you have to be able to accept it and move on quickly. That also applies to how you deal with the things you have done well, because there’ll be another shot coming your way soon enough.
WERDER.DE: You earned plenty of praise for your performance against St. Pauli, from Lothar Matthäus as well. How do you handle your performances being analysed and any criticism you might receive?
Michael Zetterer: That also represents a mental challenge. Of course being praised always feels good, especially when it comes from such an esteemed former player in Germany. However, you can’t get by on praise alone and as soon as you step foot on the training pitch at the start of the next week, you have to start all over again. That’s how I deal with both positive and negative feedback. We will analyse those areas where there’s room for improvement, and I have a very open and honest relationship with Kiki (Ed. note: Christian Vander).
WERDER.DE: What were you more satisfied with in terms of your own game: the pre-assist to help set up Marvin Ducksch against St. Pauli, or the fact that you kept a clean sheet?
Michael Zetterer: As a team, the most important thing for us is that we keep a clean sheet. We can still expand on this and put together more consecutive shutouts. Our style of play is very attacking-oriented, with our full-backs and midfielders pushing up high, so that we often end up in one-v-ones. We have the quality necessary to play well.
No one has ever been called up just because of a couple of interviews.
WERDER.DE: Following Manuel Neuer’s retirement and a serious injury to Marc-André ter Stegen, there’s now a spot available in goal for the national team for the first time in a decade. Your name has also been tossed around recently when discussing potential call-ups.
Michael Zetterer: It’s a great honour for me, but I’m not letting it go to my head. I’m proud to have worked hard to get to a point where my name is coming up in this context. I wouldn’t have dreamed of this being the case a year ago. But, no one has ever been called up just because of a couple of interviews, as the most important thing is your performances on the pitch. I’m focused on what I can control and if that’s enough to earn a call-up, then I won’t turn it down.
WERDER.DE: As a team, you’ve established a solid foundation heading into 2025. What can Werder achieve in the second half of the season?
Michael Zetterer: We should carry the way in which we performed ahead of Christmas with us into the new year. If we do, then we have a chance to take points from any of our opponents. Our aim is to finish higher than we did last season. So far, we’ve done well to work towards this and I’m confident that we will be able to take this into 2025 with us.
WERDER.DE: Zetti, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. We hope you have a great start to the new year!
