Werder Bremen Tracking Brazilian Oliveira

Werder Bremen are reportedly lining up a summer swoop for Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira from Spanish side Real Zaragoza.

The Bundesliga runners up have put the feelers out to the Brazilian forward to gauge his interest in a move to the Weser Stadion. The 28 year old is currently under contract at relegated La Liga side Real Zaragoza until 2012.

The Spanish side took the forward on loan from AC Milan this season and despite their relegation want to take up their option to buy- which would cost them around €10 million. Oliveira scored 17 goals this season for Zaragoza.

Between 2003 and 2005 the Brazilian made 11 appearances for his country and scored 3 goals. In 2007 he was part of the Milan squad that won the Champions League.

It is estimated that the striker would cost Werder around €12 million to prise him away from the Spanish side.

Several sides, including Villarreal, Atlético de Madrid and Sevilla were also showing interest in him before his recent commitment to Zaragoza

It seems that the nightmare that was the signing of Carlos Alberto has not put the German side off bringing another talented Brazilian striker to the club.

source: goal.com

Almeida: “My father got me started in football”

Werder front-man Hugo Almeida is an extremely powerful, model of an athlete who will not be easily intimidated by any defender. In part one of his interview with werder.de, the 24 year old discussed, among other things, his beginnings in the sport.

Werder.de: As Portugal’s ‘Golden Generation’ burst onto the scene in the early 90’s, you were just a young school-boy. Were those the players who awakened your interest in football?

Hugo Almeida: “No, it was my father who got me into football. He was a player himself and at one stage he asked me if I would like to have a go at playing football myself. I started as a six year old. Before that I tried athletics and played basketball but I quickly realised that they weren’t the sports for me. That’s why my father took me to football training and then I began to play.”

But you were surely influenced by the national team’s heroes of that era?

Hugo Almeida: “Of course I wanted to be like them. I thought Figo, Rui Costa and Paolo Sosa were fantastic. It was really fun to watch them playing football.”

They impressed particularly with their technical abilities, you on the other hand play a more simplified, consequent game and look to find the direct route to goal.

Hugo Almeida: “Due to my stature I am more of a physical type of player. I look to play in a more straight-forward manner, prove how dangerous I am in front of goal and improve my finishing. I would consider myself to be aerially strong because of my height. Aside from that, I also have a strong shot.”

Where do you see room for improvement in your game?

Hugo Almeida: “One slight weakness could be my technical ability. In a one-on-one situation you need to be able to drop a shoulder or jink through! I’ not the sort of player to trick my way past one opponent and then the next in a game, I prefer to play a simple pass. I still have a lot to learn.”

Werder.de: Are there similarities between the playing philosophies at Werder Bremen and in the Portuguese national team?

Hugo Almeida: “Both teams have massive potential going forward but the German game is more about power and speed. In Portugal the game has a more technical emphasis.”

What has been the biggest adjustment you have had to make away from the football pitch?

Hugo Almeida: “There are some differences between Germany and Portugal. Here for example, everything is very well organised and that’s something I like. On the other hand, the people in Germany are often quite reserved. The Portuguese are more open and cheery. I’m used to seeing people smiling in the street but I still enjoy being in Bremen.”

You had a number of injuries to deal with throughout the season and, particularly in the second half of the season, you have had to be very patient waiting for the goals to come. How did you get through that period?

Hugo Almeida: “You have to believe in yourself and in the qualities that you possess but also have the will to learn from such a period. My family always helped me through tough times. We talk things through a lot and they help cheer me up. My family is a very important support system for me.”

The hard work paid off in the end. Portugal’s national coach Luiz Felipe Scoilari included you in his squad for the European Championships.

Hugo Almeida: “I am so happy to be able to play for Portugal in the European Championships. To be considered one of your countries best 23 players is something very special. To add to that there is the fact that this is the first time for me at such a big tournament. I just hope it works out well for me, and particularly for the team.”

source: werder.de

‚Shirt-Swap‘: Werder fans take-over the main station

Lena, Sonja and Jasmina began to feel the heat and glisten with sweat as the crowd demanded they “Get ‘em off!!!” And all that for 92% polyester and 8% elastan!

Those are the fibres which go together to make the new Werder home jersey, and some 700 Green-White fans heeded the call of Werder Bremen and outfitter KAPPA to gather at Bremen’s main railway station and offer ‘Mein letztes Hemd für Werder‘ (the shirt off my back for Werder).

Lena, Sonja and Jasmina were the centre of the attention as the three attractive KAPPA models planned to make 100 Werder supporters day, with a very unique shirt swap. At the end of the day, all of the hard work and sweating was worth the effort: “I never thought for a moment that there would be so much going on here,” remarked Jasmina as she cast an astonished eye over the throng of Green-White fans at the railway station.

“The intention behind this event was to organise an exchange of jerseys for the fans just like the players have on the pitch after a game,” explained Tobias Blick, marketing leader of KAPPA-Deutschland GmbH.

It wasn’t only the models who were working up a sweat though. The fans pressed forward determinedly towards the event truck with the hope of picking up a brand new Werder jersey in exchange for their old shirt.

Considering their efforts, those who managed to snag one of the new garments were particularly happy with their haul: “It was no walk in the park getting chosen but it was well worth it ,” grinned one very satisfied supporter.

source: werder.de

Werder.de presents the new Werder Bremen kits

A new home kit, a new ‘Event’ kit, a new goalkeeper outfit, and even the numbers on the back of the jerseys have been given a face-lift. With an almost completely new look, Werder Bremen’s players will get started in the 2008/2009 season. Werder.de displayed the new look kits for the first time.

The most notable features of the new, white home jersey are the inserted chest level band in Werder-Green which is set off by orange coloured trimming and the over dimensional, centrally positioned Werder crest with a golden star just below the collar.

Aside from the new home kit, which is predominantly in white, and the away shirt, in green, next season will also see Werder in a new ‘Event’ kit in deep navy blue.

Goalkeeper Tim Wiese also modelled the new outfit that he will wear next season. The keepers will have the choice of either a deep orange/red kit or a yellow shirt with black shorts and socks.

source: werder.de

Wome seals Cologne move

Bundesliga new boys FC Cologne have signed experienced defender Pierre Wome from Werder Bremen.

The Cameroon international, who had a brief spell with Fulham in 2002, recently admitted he would love to return to the Premier League.

But he has opted to stay in Germany after Bremen decided not to extend his contract this summer following an injury-plagued season.

Wome put pen-to-paper on a two-year deal with Cologne on Wednesday and arrives at the RheinEnergie Stadion on a free transfer.

The Goats are confident that he will prove a valuable addition to their squad as they battle to re-establish themselves in the top flight.

“Pierre Wome is just the sort of player we have been looking for,” Cologne general manager Michael Meier told the club’s official website.

“He has international experience and will help stabilize our defensive line. He is a real leader.”

source: skysports.com

Werder mourn the loss of Karl-Heinz ‚Spezi‘ Mayr

He was Werder Bremen’s official announcer at the Weser Stadium from 1976 until 1981. On Saturday, 24.05.2008, Karl-Heinz ‘Spezi’ Mayr passed away in Bremen at the age of 67. “He wasn’t just a good friend from my youth, in his function as stadium announcer, he was also a part of the club. His time on the microphone at Werder home games will never be forgotten. ‘Spezi’ was one of the real cult announcers of his time and we will miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time,” commented Werder Bremen’s chairman Jürgen L. Born on hearing the sad news.

source: werder.de

Klasnic Denies Betis Link

Local radio station ‘Punto Radio’ had announced that the Croatian would be playing in the Primera División next season, but the 28 has moved quickly to dispel the rumours.

“There has been a lot said, but there is nothing in these latest reports” he said.

Klasnic will leave Werder in the summer, but his final destination still remains open.  According to Kicker, both Hamburg and Hannover are interested in him, with Glasgow Rangers, Besiktas and Olympiacos monitoring the situation.

Klasnic is leaving the Weser Stadion after seven seasons having fallen out with the club’s medical staff after they allegedly mis-diagnosed his kidney problems.

He has 49 goals in 150 appearances for Werder and another 26 during a spell at St.Pauli.

source: goal.com

Rosenberg interview: “The Bundesliga deserves more attention”

Werder Bremen striker Markus Rosenberg wants to follow in the footsteps auf EURO 2004 winners Greece and banks on the good team spirit in the Swedish team.

bundesliga.de: Mister Rosenberg, you were quoted on the Werder website saying that Sweden will become European champions…

Markus Rosenberg: We too have a chance to go far in EURO 2008. You can’t start a tournament without believing in yourself. Of course it will be difficult, but nothing’s impossible. You just have to look at the Greeks in 2004, no one reckoned with them.

bundesliga.de: What makes you confident of success? What are Sweden’s strengths?

Rosenberg: We have one outstanding player in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, of course. It may sound stereotyped, but our biggest strength is our team spirit. We can only achieve something through solidarity. That makes us strong.

bundesliga.de: You had a very good season with Werder and established yourself in the Bundesliga. Do you approach the EURO 2008 full of confidence?

Rosenberg: Yes, it’s been a good season for me. I’m really comfortable in Bremen and enjoy the confidence of club and coach. And the competition among the four strikers drives us on to improve. I think I was able to help the team, that’s why I definitely approach the tournament full of confidence.

bundesliga.de: Henrik Larsson is back in the Swedish team. Can you beat him to the place alongside Ibrahimovic?

Rosenberg: Why not (smiles)? No, Henrik Larsson has done a lot for Swedish football. You can’t replace him with a few good matches. But I hope that I can help the team with my performance and my goals. Johan Elmander scored many goals in the qualifyers, now I’m on a good run. We have many good strikers in Sweden.

bundesliga.de: How do you rate the other teams in Sweden’s group?

Rosenberg: We have a very difficult group, but that’s normal at the EURO with its power density. Spain are favourites, Russia and Greece are unpredictable, as always. But we will do everything to go as far as possible.

bundesliga.de: Swedish players take to the Bundesliga time and again. What’s the Bundesliga’s status in Sweden?

Rosenberg: The Bundesliga isn’t neglected in Sweden, but the English Premier League has the highest status in our country. But who knows, maybe that will change one day. The Bundesliga deserves more attention. The stadiums are almost always full and absolutely new and state-of-the-art, there’s a great euphoria among the fans.

source: bundesliga.de

Summer preparations to begin on July 11th

An initial basic schedule for Werder Bremen’s summer preparations has been released. Important dates which have now been set include the official training begin on Thursday, 03.07.2008 at 3:30pm on the Weser Stadium training pitches, both training camps on Norderney and in Schruns, Austria, as well as this year’s ‘Day of the Fans’ which will be held on Sunday, 03.08.2008.

The schedule calendar is as yet to be completed, with further friendly games expected to be added. Due to the European Championships and other international footballing events being held in June, Werder’s on duty players will not be expected to partake in the official training begin.

The current schedule at a glance:

Thur, 03.07.2008, 3.30pm: Training begin at the Weser-Stadium facilities

Fri, 11.07.2008, 7pm: Friendly against TSV Ottersberg

Sat, 12.07.2008: Friendly against VfL Oldenburg

14. – 20.07.2008: Training camp on Norderney

22. – 29.07.2008: Training camp in Schruns

Sun, 03.08.2008: “Day of the Fans” at the Weser-Stadium

Sat / Sun 09./10.08.2008: First round of the DFB-Cup

15. – 17.08.2008: First Bundesliga match day

source: werder.de

‘Shirt-Swap’: KAPPA and Werder present the new Werder kit

The waiting is almost over. On Thursday, 29.05.2008, official outfitter KAPPA and Werder Bremen will present the clubs new home and away ‘Event’ jerseys to the general public in a very unique manner between 2pm and 4pm. Using the motto: ‘Mein letztes Hemd für das neue Werder-Trikot‘ (the shirt off my back for the new Werder jersey), 100 fans will have the chance to claim the new jersey for the 2008/2009 season.

The KAPPA models will be offering to swap shirts at an event to be staged in the forecourt of Bremen’s main railway station. Those selected by the attractive ladies, and are prepared to part with their sweater, shirt, blouse, t-shirt, polo shirt or another jersey, will in turn receive the new Werder Bremen jersey.

Those not lucky enough to be selected can find solace at the Werder-Fanshop. There, a limited number of the new jerseys will go on sale from 12pm. At the railway forecourt, a Werder-Fanmobile will have shirts on sale from 2pm.

For all of those unable to make the event, the new Werder kit will be presented on www.werder.de from midnight on Thursday, 29.05.2008.

source: werder.de

Diego makes title vow

Werder Bremen playmaker Diego has thrown down the gauntlet to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich as far as next season’s title race is concerned.

The north German outfit finished second behind Bayern last season despite enduring a year plagued with injuries to key players and Diego says he believes that he and his team-mates can bring the title back to the Weserstadion in 2009.

“Things will look very different next season,” the 23-year-old told Bild.

“We have got the ability to win the league and we will do everything possible to achieve our goal.

“All the problems we had last season made our second-place finish even more valuable. Nobody could have really expected that,” he added.

Despite losing Germany international Tim Borowski to Bayern this summer, Bremen will be looking to strengthen their squad to challenge the Bavarian giants and sport director Klaus Allofs echoed Diego’s words with regard to their title chances:

“We will not be starting next season with the intention of finishing second again,” noted Allofs.

source: skysports.com

Womé Set For Cologne Switch

After spending two years with the Weser Stadion club, neither the club nor the player were interested in extending his current contract which expires on June 30.

The 29 year old didn’t appear for the Green and Whites last season after suffering from injury, while also having problems with club doctor Dr. Götz Dimanski.

However, the Cameroon international has seemingly found a new employer for next season with newly promoted side Cologne his likely destination.

Womé has already met with Cologne manager Michael Meier and should be revealed as their signing in the next few days.

The Rhine club will certainly be getting experience with the signing of Womé.  He has had previous spells with Roma, Bologna, Fulham, Espanyol, Brescia and Inter Milan.

source: goal.com

End Of Season Review: Werder Bremen

BUNDESLIGA

Finishing as runners up to Bayern Munich this season will be seen by many as a successful season for Werder.  The first few weeks of the season were anything but smooth for Thomas Schaaf’s side and it looked highly unlikely that they would finish the season as the second best team in the Bundesliga.

Torsten Frings was injured and Diego was tired and out of form following his involvement in the Copa America with Brazil.  Werder opened with a disappointing 2-2 draw with Bochum before Bayern Munich arrived at the Weser Stadion on the second game of the season.  Bremen were ripped apart by their Southern rivals and duly lost 4-0.  Another poor performance two weeks later saw them beaten 3-0 away at Dortmund and they found themselves 13th after five games.

The Green and Whites did however recover with the return to form of Diego coinciding with their turnaround.  They beat Stuttgart 4-1 at the end of September before thrashing Arminia Bielefeld 8-1.  They won seven of their nine games up to the Winter break to finish joint top at the half way stage with only goal difference separating them from leaders Bayern.

However, five defeats in their first nine games after the restart of the Bundesliga season in February seriously dented their title ambitions and saw Hamburg, Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen ahead of them.  Particularly worrying was the fact that they lost successive home games to Wolfsburg and Duisburg despite creating enough chances to win them.

But as in the first half of the season, Thomas Schaaf’s side recovered their best form and finished with seven wins in their final eight league matches to secure the runners up spot despite late pressure from Schalke.

Overall, the season was one of inconsistency from Werder.  At times they looked a match for Bayern as their attacking brand of football just overpowered teams (Bielefeld 8-1, Schalke 5-1, Hannover 6-1), but there were dips in the season where they lost to the likes of Duisburg and Bochum at home and were trounced 6-3 away at Stuttgart.

But that is what you get with Werder’s brand of attacking football.  There are always likely to be goals at either end.  If their defence had been as mean as Bayern’s, then their challenge for the Bundesliga would have been a stronger one.

EUROPE

Werder have become regular Champions League participants, but have still not managed to make the breakthrough to the knock out rounds and had to once again settle for a place in the Uefa Cup after failing to make it out of the group stages.

The Green and Whites overcame Croatian challengers Dinamo Zagreb in the qualifying round at a time when they were clearly out of form and not at their best.  Zagreb gave them a real fright at the Weser Stadion before losing 2-1.  The second leg at the Maksimir saw two first half away goals put Werder in the driving seat and they went on to win 5-3 on aggregate.

The group stage saw Werder drawn with Real Madrid, Lazio, and Olympiacos.  They lost at the Bernabeu with Diego impressing, but then slumped to a 3-1 home defeat to the Greeks.  A home win over Lazio followed, but the away match in Rome was lost.

The German side then gave themselves hope of qualification with a 3-2 home win over Real Madrid, but a 3-0 away defeat to Olympiacos saw them finish third in the group and drop into the Uefa Cup.

The previous season Werder made it all the way to the semi finals but this time around the last 16 was their limit.   Sporting Braga were brushed aside 4-0 on aggregate before Glasgow Rangers stopped Werder rudely in their tracks.  Two howlers from keeper Tim Wiese handed the Scots a 2-0 first leg lead and Werder only managed to win the return leg 1-0 and were eliminated.

SUMMER SIGNINGS

Brazilian Carlos Alberto arrived with a fanfare of great expectation, but was back in Brazil by Christmas having made just two appearances.  The club’s record €8 million signing was blighted by injury and also failed to settle with his new team mates.  A training ground punch-up with Boubacar Sanogo was just one example of his troubles.  He went to Sao Paulo on loan, but indiscipline saw them get rid of him.  Botafogo have now taken him on loan.

Serbian full back Dusko Tosic was signed from Sochaux but found it difficult to settle at the club with the language barrier hindering his integration into the team.  He made 12 appearances in the league, but may be offloaded before the new season.

Werder took a gamble on Hamburg reject Boubacar Sanogo as they looked to replace Miroslav Klose in attack.  The Ivorian was never going to be able to compensate fully for the loss of Klose, but he did look like a different player completely from the one who had seen his confidence battered by the Hamburg fans.

He scored nine goals in 21 appearances to become a valuable member of the attack as Thomas Schaaf rotated between him, Hugo Almeida, Markus Rosenberg and Ivan Klasnic.

German U-21 international Sebastian Boenisch was brought in from Schalke and is definitely one for the future.  The youngster made nine appearances and scored one goal.

After being cast out at Schalke Mesut Özil arrived at the Weser Stadion in the January transfer.  Many saw him as a long-term replacement for Diego, who is constantly the centre of transfer speculation, but it seems the two will be at the club together next season if the Brazilians comments are to be believed.  He played 12 times scoring once.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

The loss of Miroslav Klose was always going to be blow to Werder and trainer Thomas Schaaf challenged the other strikers to step up to the mark and take over the role of main goal-getter.  Swede Markus Rosenberg finished the season as the club’s top scorer with 14. and was roundly praised by the trainer.  Klose scored 13 for Werder last season and just 10 for Bayern this campaign so Werder will be pleased with the €12 million they received.

Diego was yet again one of the top performers this season although it took him a while to hit top gear following the exertions of the Copa America.  He still finished as the Bundesliga’s highest scoring midfielder with 13 goals and remains the creative force in the Werder side.  If Werder can hold onto him this summer, it will be a massive boost to the club.

However centre back Per Mertesacker gets my vote as Werder’s ‘Player of the Season’.  He missed just two games all season due a suspension picked up for an unfortunate red card picked up against Stuttgart.  He was ‘Mr. Consistent’ at the back for Werder.  They may have conceded rather more goals than normal, but that is not a reflection on Mertesacker, but rather Werder’s open attacking style that leaves them wide open at times.  This season he has reinforced his place as Germany’s best centre back.

SUMMARY

Looking at the final league table Werder Bremen sit a full ten points behind champions Bayern Munich, but the question on many Werder fans’ lips will be ‘is the gap really that large?’.  Probably not is the answer.  Werder’s inconsistency made the title race rather more one sided than he could have been.  Bayern offered their rivals a few opportunities to close the gap but no-one took them.

Bayern only won two more games than Werder, but Bremen lost eight to Bayern’s two.  The North Germans finished the season as the league’s top scorers with 75 in 34 games so if you want goals watch Werder.  The disappointed again in Europe, but have the consolation of Champions League football again next season.

source: goal.com

Markus Rosenberg injured

Sweden striker Markus Rosenberg has been ruled out of a friendly match against Slovenia after he hurt his knee during a practice session with the national squad.

The Werder Bremen player has a bruised left knee cap but is expected to be back in practice in a few days, team doctor Anders Valentin said Sunday. A scan did not reveal any serious problems.

Rosenberg is worried that missing Monday’s match might affect his chances of gaining a spot in the starting lineup in the European Championship next month.

“I would have liked to play,” Rosenberg told reporters at Sweden’s warmup camp in the southwestern city of Stenungsund. “This makes the competitive situation more difficult, absolutely. Of course I’m thinking about that.”

Valentin said Rosenberg was expected to be back in training as the Swedes enter the second phase of their Euro 2008 preparations in Stockholm next week.

source: iht.com

Return of the hit-men

Forwards accounted for more than half the goals scored in the Bundesliga last season – a ’striking’ statistic. Strikers notched 433 goals between them in 2007-2008 – 50.3 percent of the total in the top flight, the highest ratio for four years. bundesliga.de discusses the “return of the frontman ” with coaches Thomas Schaaf (Bremen) and Friedhelm Funkel (Frankfurt), and Stuttgart forward Cacau.

“Going for the win”

All three are in agreement on one point – the individual talent of the strikers has been a major contributing factor. “The top teams all have at least two very good front players”, says Cacau, who himself bagged eight in the season just ended: “FC Bayern and Werder Bremen actually have three or four.”

The first five places on the top scorers chart are all filled by ‘classic’ forwards: Luca of FC Bayern München (24 goals), Stuttgart’s Mario Gomez (19), Kevin Kuranyi of FC Schalke 04 (15) and Hamburg’s Ivica Olic and Markus Rosenberg of Bremen (14 each).

According to Funkel, this is down in part to the fact that, “The forwards are simply making more of their chances, as well”. Schaaf, whose team totalled more goals from strikers – 44 – than any other, throws an interesting consideration into the pot: “Maybe teams have generally been going for the win more this season than in the past.”

“Inject greater offensive spirit”

Eight of the top nine scorers in 2007-2008 are forwards. The only midfielder to inveigle himself amongst the frontmen is Bremen playmaker Diego, who scored 13. Says Funkel, “It’s the coach’s task to inject a greater offensvie spirit into his midfield. Having just four midfielders among the 21 top scorers is a terribly low return.”

For his part, Schaaf is certain every club would love to have the kind of attacking midfield motor available at Bremen: “Every team is on the lookout for the goal-hungry midfielder with a good shot on him, who can effectively double-up as a forward.”

A matter of balance

On the question as to whether an attack-minded team can simultaneously stand secure at the back, Schaaf has no doubts: “It can certainly be done. It’s a matter of finding the right balance in your game, the proportionate ratio.” It has to be noted, however, that this balance was conspicuously absent at Bremen latterly. The Bundesliga ‘goal factory’ also conceded, proportionately, the most goals to strikers (67 percent).

For Schaaf, the explanation is simple: “It’s important to have constancy with regard to personnel. And it’s not just a question of the quality of players, but also of their interaction on the pitch. When players get injured, this often presents a major problem.”

source: bundesliga.de