Skelly Alvero feels at home in Bremen after the 22-year-old made his loan move from Olympique Lyon permanent in the summer. However, after a tricky pre-season for the Frenchman, he has had to make do with limited minutes recently. “Because of my height, I have always needed a longer pre-season to get up to speed,” explained Alvero. “I’m grateful to the club for being patient with me. Now I’m ready to give everything for the team.”
Despite his usage of the German language still being limited in his private life, Alvero has made sure to be well-versed in football-specific terminology. This is especially important for a midfielder like him, where communication with teammates is constant. “From a tactical point of view, the two leagues are very different,” reveals Alvero. “You get tackled a lot more in Germany than in France. That’s not something I see as a bad thing, though. I like the style of play in the Bundesliga.”
He would have been enjoying the Bundesliga even more after the six-foot-eight right-footed player scored just 20 minutes into his debut in the division. With fond memories of that goal, he is looking forward to travelling back to face TSG Hoffenheim once again. “That was really special for me because it was a nice goal. Unfortunately though, despite our best efforts we still ended up losing,” said Werder's number 28, recalling the 2-1 defeat last March. “However, that was the start of a new chapter for me and the best feeling I’ve had so far in a Bremen shirt. We aim to have it our own way against them this time around.”
In his press conference ahead of the away win at 1. FSV Mainz 05, Ole Werner had already emphasised that it “won’t be long before this young midfielder shows his potential.” The support from the coach is something that the young talent values for his development. “It’s not just the coach, but many people at the club who trust me,” reported Alvero. “I’m sure that I’ll be back on top form within the next month.” Perhaps his contribution for the team at Hoffenheim this weekend will be another goal-scoring performance.
