“Crucial for both teams” | OneFootball

The echo of '65: SV Werder presented the new third kit for the 2025/26 season at Thursday's press conference (photo: W.DE).

Press conference with Ole Werner ahead of the match at home to RB Leipzig

The final home game of the season is fast approaching for head coach Ole Werner and his SV Werder side and they will be hoping to provide the fans with one final victory on their home patch against RB Leipzig on Saturday, 10.05.25 (kick-off 15:30 CEST). Ahead of the contest, Werner answered questions from the media and spoke about...

SVW will don the new third kit in the final home game of the season against Leipzig (Photo: W.DE).

…the new third kit: "I'm not sure if one game is enough to write the same history this kit represents. This will be our third kit for next season and we want to be successful while wearing it, including this weekend. For that, we need to deliver a good performance."

…the current league position: “We want to climb higher up the table and therefore we need to win the game. Leipzig also have targets they are trying to reach and both teams will be looking for three points as a result. We also had the intention of winning the past couple games but we did not perform as well as in the matches beforehand. This is a crucial game for both teams.”

…opponents Leipzig: “They possess an individual quality which sets them apart from other teams in the division. They changed a couple of things when the new coach came in, focusing more on the sole players, while pressing high and attempting varied passing sequences. Nevertheless, each game is different on the whole. We need to demonstrate our own capabilities if we are to leave the field as the winning side.”

…his birthday last Sunday: “I was working because we still had analysis to go through. I may not be the most experienced hand but we do still have a way of doing things after a game. Disappointment needs to be overcome quickly and attentions turned to the next task at hand. I am now looking forward to our match at home and it is really positive and serves as motivation that we are still able to achieve something. Therefore, my birthday was not dominated by the aftermath of the Union Berlin game, rather excitement ahead of this latest home fixture.”

…potential nerves during the final fixtures: “I think that the team possesses great motivation and also excitement. We can still achieve something and that creates a positive kind of apprehension. Even if we win both remaining games then we would not have it all in our own hands but we have nevertheless worked hard to be in a position in which we can still make something happen and that makes me really proud because that is certainly not a given for us.”

"Make use of everything at our disposal once again"

…the fan march to the stadium: “It always makes for a great atmosphere. Even if we just meet up at the stadium, you still get a feel for that, because relatives of the team and coaching staff all take part. It’s great when we can make use of everything at our disposal once again ahead of our final home game and I hope that we can cap things off with a win.”

… Marvin Ducksch: “Rumours about Duckschi are about as old as he is himself. However, he has always remained a Werder player throughout. This club is used to receiving offers and dealing with that. He is a crucial player for us and we benefit greatly from the strength he offers. He has always been so reliable, ever since he joined the club. The summer break is still a while off at the moment and so nothing is going on right now in that regard. Our focus is on preparation for the final two games and then we will see what happens after that.”

…loan players: “I am repeatedly watching clips of the players, week after week. Isak has made a good start to his spell in Denmark, having a positive influence on his side. The fact he is now playing somewhat more infrequently now does not take away from the loan benefitting him. He and the team are fighting for every point and what he offers just does not fit in with that so well right now. Olivier is getting lots of minutes as a regular starter, which provides him with confidence. There are still areas that we want him to work on but he has great potential.”

…André Silva & Issa Kaboré: “Acquiring players in winter means you have a deeper squad at your disposal. We loaned out Olivier Deman in order for him to get match practice so that he can return in summer and show what he can do. At that point in time, Felix was still not back to full fitness, so we would have gone into a busy schedule with only two reserve players had we not signed Issa Kaboré. I think back to Issa’s introduction when we drew with Dortmund and then the win over Mainz, so he has had his moments. We have now gone six games unbeaten, though, so it is tricky for other players to knock Mitchell Weiser and Felix Agu off their perch when they are playing so well. The case was similar with André, since we had a few attacking players injured and were not sure how long they would be out for. André also provided us with something and steadily improved from one appearance to the next. We then opted for a forward line that worked well for us, so those are the reasons why both have received fewer minutes.”