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Werder Bremen have seen their worst nightmares come true. After playing an especially poor pre-season, the Bundesliga outfit had to travel to the Bielefelder Alm on Friday for an exceptionally difficult re-match against the team that trounced them out of the German cup last February. History repeated itself at the Alm. Arminia Bielefeld have eliminated Werder for the second time in six months.
Bremen midfielder Leonardo Bittencourt was sent off on double yellows in the 54th. The Hanseatic guests fought hard to force extra time, but were ultimately undone by American striker Isaiah Young at 90+3. Bremen face serious problems heading into the season after the 0-1 DFB Pokal loss.
The departure of striker Marvin Ducksch leaves the team without a veteran striker. Michael Zetterer’s soon-to-be-completed transfer to Eintracht Frankfurt means Bremen will lack veteran leadership between the sticks. Attempts to acquire reinforcements for the squad have stalled.
Squad captain Marco Friedl made no effort to hide his concern in both his post-match-interview and his comments in the mixed zone. The 27-year-old couldn’t avoid criticizing club management for not getting deals to bring in new players over the line.
“All of us, and I do mean all of us, have to get our act together,” Friedl told Sky Germany after the match. “Otherwise, it will be a very difficult year. I have to be careful what I say, because I’m extremely frustrated about everything that’s going on around here.”
Friedl was less cautious in the mixed zone.
“I’ve already said so much about the pre-season,” Friedl, frequently rubbing his eyes in frustration, added in the media hall. “We have to ‘bring it’ regardless of what we’re at. It won’t get any easier in the league. We all need to wake up and snap out of it.
“So many of our key players have left,” Friedl continued. “And we haven’t done anything. I hope something happens. I don’t want to add much more than that. When one gives and gives away [players], one needs to get some.
“Now we’re in deeper shit than after the pre-season,” Friedl added.
Werder chief personnel executive Clemens Fritz also conducted an interview in the mixed zone. The 44-year-old, who has already presided over one club relegation while he was working in the club office (2021), did his best to defend his administrative team’s summer strategy.
“I do believe that everyone who represented us today is qualified to play in the Bundesliga,” Fritz said. “We have some absentees [due to injury]. We know that we have to do something. We will try to do something. I know we need assistance in attack. We’re conducting talks.
“It’s not easy,” Fritz continued. “There’s sporting issues. There’s financial issues. Sometimes one needs to wait until the player’s club finds a replacement. There are players on our list. We’re working on it.”
GGFN | Peter Weis
