Werder Release Womé

The Cameroon international is available on a free transfer after the Weser Stadion club decided against offering him a contract extension.  He has already voiced his desire to make a return to the English Premiership.

The 29 year old had a short spell with London side Fulham in 2002 and would love the chance to return to England.

“To play in the Premier League is a dream, after Italy and Germany – why not?  I have experience from the top of the game, I have World Cup experience and Champions League experience so I am not afraid and I am also cheap right now” he told skysports.

“There are some contacts, but when something is clear you will hear” he added.

Womé has had previous stints at Roma, Bologna, Fulham, Espanyol, Brescia and Inter Milan.

source: goal.com

Werder Deny Diego Olympic Dream

The Werder midfielder becomes the latest big name to be told to forget about the Beijing Olympics after Mark van Bommel, Lucio and Martin Demichelis were barred from representing their countries in the summer games by Bayern Munich.   “

With due respect, this is the Olympic Games and for a footballer, the World Cup is the largest competition where they can measure themselves with the best” Bremen manager Klaus Allofs told the Weser Kurier newspaper.

“He belongs to the ‘A’ team and, in my eyes, that is not a team for the Olympics.”

The Olympic football tournament would see Diego miss the first two rounds of the Bundesliga season and deny him a proper summer break.

Bremen will not face any sanctions through their actions as Diego is an over-age player.  “We will work on having him available to us,” added Allofs.

“We know that by not releasing him, we are not at risk of any sanctions.”

source: goal.com

Werder Bremen is consistently on the mind of Thomas Schaaf

The end of one season marks the beginning of another for Werder trainer Thomas Schaaf. The success of last season, with the subsequent qualification for yet another Champions League adventure, sees goals emerge for the challenges that lie ahead. Werder Bremen is consistently on the mind of Thomas Schaaf, as is clear when he comments on…

…his analysis of the past season:

“I just walk out of the door and leave it all behind me – Adios (laughing). No, to be honest, the analysis takes place throughout the season. I am lucky enough to have a good trainer team at my disposal and I consider Klaus Allofs, who has a very close relationship with the team, to be a part of that. We exchange views all the time! You really only see what happens out on the training pitch but there is a lot which goes on internally. That start’s early in the morning. Over a cup of coffee we often have intensive discussions, organise the schedule for the day, speak with the players and arrange training plans or tactics. Even at training camps ahead of games, it’s not as if we just relax on a sun lounger, we sit together in the evening and develop concepts, we want to be innovative all the time. It’s a never ending process. Even now, after the season has ended, we sit down to evaluate everything. This season raced by so quickly. You get started and ‘whoops!!’ all of a sudden it’s the 34th match day!! Then you look over things again, consider the impressions which have been made upon you, you take on-board suggestions from all around and set your plans for the future.”

…the great expectations from the surrounding environment of Werder:

“The expectations throughout Bremen are clear to see from the news coverage over the last few weeks. The negative remarks really got on my nerves at times. It’s time it was acknowledged in Bremen that we have achieved something exceptional recently, and over the last few years. Getting to the top one time is not nearly as difficult as staying there but we have been up there for five consecutive years now!! We have to make it clear that we have achieved that with astounding football and take a look at the enthusiasm that we have reared in doing that. In my opinion, there are many people who just haven’t realised that. It has to be made clear just how many clubs are striving for just what we have achieved and how few manage to get there. There are times when I ask myself, just what have I got to answer for?”

…his own, brave targets:

“We are obviously responsible ourselves for the size of the expectations upon us. We have really stirred the beast! I can remember back to a few years ago when Klaus Allofs declared at a press conference that we plan to establish ourselves in the Champions League. I recall saying to him afterwards: “Klaus, do you know what you just said?” Now we are there for the fifth time in succession. We are determined ourselves to continually raise the bar, now that clearing it has become a matter of course. Naturally Werder is growing, as are the expectations, as is our budget, but so too is the budget of the other clubs which whom we have to measure ourselves nationally and internationally – probably even more extremely for some of them.”

source: werder.de