Werder Bremen narrowly missed out on qualifying for the European Cup last season, finishing ninth. Overall, the Green-Whites can draw a positive conclusion from the 23/24 season. However, this was not always the case over the course of the past year. Head coach Ole Werner was heavily criticized at times – there was even public speculation about him being released from his duties.
The 36-year-old, who has been in office since the end of November 2021, led Werder back to the Bundesliga and now has two Bundesliga seasons behind him, is repeatedly criticized at Osterdeich. Werner does not develop the young players enough. Werner is too emotionless. These are the most common criticisms.
Compared to the kicker Werner has now commented on this. “In purely sporting terms, it was certainly a season with ups and downs, which were always very pronounced. It felt like we achieved almost nothing for many weeks, and then we were almost unbeatable for many weeks,” he said, looking back on 23/24.
“I hear this accusation from time to time, but to be honest, when I look at the facts, I can't follow it and I see it differently,” he said in response to the accusation that he doesn't develop his players enough. He then named four players as positive examples: Nick Woltemade, Romano Schmid, Justin Njinmah and Felix Agu, who were able to play an important role in the team over the course of the season.
But expectations in Bremen are of course traditionally high – which is mainly due to past successes, Werner pointed out. “What of course always plays a role with traditional clubs – in Bremen too – is that you are measured to some extent by the past. And here that had a lot to do with international business and a lot to do with titles.”
“I also notice that it is difficult in this location to always just set the goal of avoiding relegation,” he added. However, he does not want to be lured into making any declarations of war. The Bundesliga competition in the top third of the table has been able to distance itself too clearly from Werder in recent years.
It would also not suit the Werder coach's calm nature to set goals that were too high. “If I almost always look the same on the sidelines and perhaps even present a situation soberly, then that is often out of conviction. In this emotional environment at Werder Bremen, the situation in public is usually either very, very good or very, very bad – and in this way I can convey a certain calm and reliability to the group,” he said.
The quiet, introverted Werner is often a means to an end. Things should continue to be calm and relaxed at Osterdeich in the coming months and, in the best case, years.
