New season, new number, new mission. For the first time in his time at SV Werder Bremen, Michael Zetterer is going into a new season as the club’s number 1. It’s a role that entails a certain amount of responsibility in the eyes of the Green-Whites’ goalkeeper. “I want to be a leader in the dressing room and also a point of contact for the boys when things aren’t going to plan,” explained the 29-year-old in the Mixed Zone on Wednesday.
Zetterer admitted that he isn’t quite used to being Werder’s number 1 yet. “It was special to arrive here on the first day knowing that I’m going to be in this role heading into the new season,” said the shot-stopper, who has had extra training sessions during his time off and pre-season in order to prepare for his new position. Zetterer has been the Green-Whites’ go-to man between the posts since October 2023 and gradually evolved into the club’s first-choice keeper over the course of last season. The only thing that was missing was a number 1 on the back of his shirt instead of the number 30, which he was actually more than happy to keep. “I was told that the club wanted to name an official number 1 and that they wanted it to be me,” explained Zetterer. “It goes without saying that it’s a great feeling to head into a new season with this number on my back. It’s the icing on the cake.”
Being promoted to the club’s number one means that Zetterer has also gone from hunting the position to being hunted. Now, a young ambitious goalkeeper in the form of Mio Backhaus occupies the role that Zetterer found himself in for so long. “You’ve got to want to be the first choice at some point. Otherwise you won’t go very far in professional football,” noted Zetterer. “I had to be patient, work hard and keep at it for a number of years.” 33-year-old Markus Kolke, who arrived at SVW as third-choice keeper from Hansa Rostock, completes the trio of shot-stoppers. “He’s a great guy who’s unbelievably talented. I think it’s almost a shame that he’s the third choice,” stressed Zetterer.
Zetterer is not only happy with the standard of the goalkeeping unit, but also the whole squad’s performances during pre-season. “The training sessions have been improving week after week. Over the past few days, it’s become obvious that everyone is feeling motivated as the start of the season gets closer,” stated Zetterer. That’s why he thinks that the core of the team staying together is a good thing. “Most people know what the coach wants and what our system is all about. Knowing what we demand of one another means that it’s much easier to be on our A-game ahead of the first competitive match. We’re ready for Monday.”
