+++ Reunions are fun: On the sidelines of training, Werder head coach Robin Dutt got a visit from an old friend - Arie Haan. The 66-year-old Dutchman used to work together with Dutt at Stuttgarter Kickers and is the current coach at Tianjin TEDA, Werder's next test match opponent. "It wasn't clear for a while that we would play against each other. When I heard that he would be here with Werder Bremen, it was clear that I had to see how he was doing. We worked together for just one year but you never lose contact. It's nice to see him again here," said Haan. +++

+++ Eichin taking his laps: Thomas Eichin used the players' first training session in Tianjin for his personal sports program. While the Werder players were sweating on the pitch, the SVW manager was busy running his laps and then went through the conditioning program with the team. Fitter than ever. +++

+++ Easy, Juno, easy: For Werder players, China means mainly heat and humidity, lots of flying and signing autographs - and snapshots. But a photo of Zlatko Junuzovic on Werder's official Instagram profile has sparked speculation. The Austrian was shown with a fan and an unusual head covering - a panda mask. Is Werder's Austrian following the tracks of successful German rapper Cro? His trademark is a mask with a panda face. Or is ‘Juno' now an ambassador for the WWF, whose emblem is a panda? Or has the midfielder just fallen for the soft and fluffy animal? +++

+++ Training in Tiamjin At dusk Thursday night (local time), Sebastian Prödl, Franco Di Santo and Co. needed to make do without light. Since the local club Tianjin TEDA does not train evenings, those responsible were not prepared to have to rely on the floodlighting. But in the end, everything went okay as the training grounds were lit up by the break of darkness. "We were wondering a bit that nobody was turning on the light. But it didn't affect us," said Clemens Fritz with a grin. +++

+++ No school thanks to Werder: The pupils of the German-American school in Changchun were able to sleep in unusually long Thursday morning. Since a number of classes were in the stadium Wednesday evening (local time) at SV Werder's 1-0 victory, the school heads gave the pupils the first two hours of school off. +++