SV Werder Bremen has achieved its official goals for the season before the schedule. And now? The chance of being eligible for Europe is: but this time there is less talk – so that they can continue to play with more freedom than at the start of the year.
40 points, and mathematically insured relegation – check. 42 points, and all the same total as at the end of last season – also check. After the 2-1-way victory over VFB Stuttgart and the two have achieved official goals for the season, it is clear that SV Werder Bremen will improve his count in the third season since he was promoted (assuming that they will not lose every match against the end of the season).
Where this will ultimately be sufficient, after missing European competition with only two goals last year, even more depends on the five remaining competitions, given the less favorable conditions for qualifying and a higher point level this season.
Currently ninth in the table, Werder is one of what sports director Clemens Fritz “Eight, Nine, Ten teams” mentions that compete for the coveted fifth and sixth places – the gap is now only four and three points respectively.
Talk about Europe again?
The last time they were also close to these positions in the table was at the start of the year: at that time the ambitions of Bremen grew of course noticeable, their statements became more assertive – but then they went further away from the upper rankings week after week, fell from the preliminary high point after matchday 15 (12th place) to the table).
The sporting performances had little to do with Europe and the subject was logically rejected in public. It seemed difficult enough to get on the right track even after four consecutive competitions, including the Cup exit in Bielefeld.
Together with a relaxation personnel situation (and the return of Captain Marco Friedl), Werder has indeed become more stable and won their fourth of their last five Bundesliga competitions in Stuttgart. But is that why they are talking about Europe again?
Fritz: “That didn't do much good for us”
Not everyone likes that, given the back and forth this season; Head coach Ole Werner recently responded quite self -satisfied and said: “One season was great. Then it was dead. Then it was outrageous. Then it was a little better again. Then it just went well – and now there is something else about something else …”
Leonardo Bittencourt pronounced in the same way on Dazn in Stuttgart: “From the first relegation candidate to the Golden Pineapple to the Europe, it feels like everything is possible in one year …”
In the meantime, sports director Fritz indicated that Bremen seems to have learned certain lessons in expectation management: “It is clear that after the first half of the season and the perfect December, everyone calls to Europe. But you can see that it didn't do us much,” said the 44-year-old: “The way we started the new year did not do us any good.”
Liberated residents of Bremen: others are under pressure
Now, however, he has the impression, Fritz said in Stuttgart: “That we are in peace with ourselves, that we concentrate on our playing style you can see self-confidence and the conviction in our own actions. And we benefit from that.”
A situation that should no longer be lost, not even because of the public discussion about Europe – which, according to Werder's concerns, would lead to corresponding reactions and questions from the people around them in the case of possible defeats. Fritz recently rejected such a black and white image in an interview with Kicker. In the light of the current classification, he said: “It can go in any direction.”
In the meantime, head coach Werner gave the logical goal to get “as many points” as possible – and then see what they can achieve. The fact that they are determined to retain this supposed benefit that they can play freely again was also suggested by the following explanation: “There are many teams that have a different kind of pressure than we – they have to go to Europe.”
Burke on Europe: “We have to believe in it”
And here and there there is actually a Werder player who, stimulated by the 2-1 victory in Stuttgart, takes a more optimistic view of European prospects. And who could have been more floating on Sunday than double winner Oliver Burke? “We all have to believe in it,” the Scot explained: “It's possible.” And maybe on MatchDay 34, that's how it will be – control.
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