“We are catching up to the top teams – that underlines our development as a side” | OneFootball

Ole Werner has now been in charge of Werder for three and a half years (Photo: WERDER.DE).

End of season interview with Werder head coach Ole Werner

SV Werder also improved in their fourth season under head coach Ole Werner, finishing the 2024/25 campaign in eighth place with 51 points in the Bundesliga. At the end of the season, the 37-year-old discussed the highs and lows of the past campaign, talked about his team’s development and looked ahead to the new season.

WERDER.DE: Moin Ole, the 2024/25 season is now done and dusted. Now you’ve had a week or so to let it all sink in, how do you think it went?

Ole Werner: It’s been a good year overall for the club. We managed to finish higher in the table and claimed more points as well. Even if our Pokal exit still hurts, we also got further than we did last time. Like in every season, we obviously had periods where we didn’t play to our best, but we improved over the course of the whole season and also developed the style of football we want to play.

WERDER.DE: You just mentioned the team’s development. Was there any particular game that represented that in particular?

Ole Werner: There wasn’t one particular game, but we showed against some of the league’s top sides like Frankfurt, Leverkusen and Stuttgart that we have improved and caught up to them in some regards. The gap was a lot bigger last season, so this best underlines our development.

WERDER.DE: We saw a few passionate celebrations from you on the touchline across the past season. Which game has stuck in your mind the most from an emotional perspective?

Ole Werner: There are several that have. Obviously the crazy comeback away against Hoffenheim, that’s the kind of thing you don’t experience very often in your career. Our home win over Frankfurt with a fantastic performance against a really strong side has stuck in my mind because of the emotions involved. We also had a number of great moments, like late winners against Darmstadt in the cup or against Kiel.

WERDER.DE: Back in December in your end of year interview, you said you wanted the team to keep focusing on their development and the journey together. Would you say they have done that?

Ole Werner: Overall, yes. We had a period at the start of this year where not many things went well for us. Our analysis of the season determined that we were missing important players during that time, guys that are key for providing clarity both on and off the pitch. That ultimately cost us points. Despite that, I’m satisfied with the way the team recovered and how they played football that they and this club stand for. The fact that they managed to do that shows that we’re a more solid side than in previous years.

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WERDER.DE: With hindsight, would there have been any advice that you’d have given yourself at the turn of the year?

Ole Werner: There were obviously certain things that cost us points during games. The way we defended in our own box and defended opposition crosses was excellent in the first half of the season and towards the end of the campaign. During the difficult period of our season, our explicit focus was on this side of our game, but we probably should have started focusing on it two or three weeks earlier than we did. I think this helped us at a later date.

WERDER.DE: Jens Stage said after the victory in Heidenheim that the team can learn a lot from their struggles in February and the subsequent recovery. What exactly was he referring to?

Ole Werner: The ability to believe in ourselves and our own quality. If we stay true to ourselves and play to our own strengths, we always have the chance to turn things around.

Ole Werner on the SVW fans

WERDER.DE: A negative this past term was posed by the number of goals conceded. How can you explain the peculiarity of recording 10 clean sheets but also possessing the fifth highest goals against?

Ole Werner: Thinking back to the games away to Gladbach, Freiburg or our clashes with Bayern, then we lost each of these games fairly convincingly. Despite that, we showed impressive defensive stability when with the full squad at our disposal. Keeping a total of 10 shutouts is really impressive.

WERDER.DE: One of your strengths this season was demonstrated by the tally of nine away wins. Why do you think the team performs better on the road than at home?

Ole Werner: I don’t have an explanation for that. At the start of this calendar year, we perhaps wanted to try and do too much too soon coming off the back of a positive first half of the campaign. We somewhat lost our structure and walked right into our opponents’ traps. That cost us a better return from our home fixtures. We gave a great showing in away matches though and that is super because it makes our fans’ long journeys home that bit easier. Their support is something special and helps set us apart from the other clubs.

Ole Werner's team finished eighth in the Bundesliga in 2024/25 (Photo: WERDER.DE).

WERDER.DE: Two experienced leaders depart in Milos Veljkovic and Anthony Jung. Can pre-existing team members grow into those roles or will replacing them require external recruitment, also in terms of importance for in the locker room?

Ole Werner: These two have helped shape our journey over the last couple years. Each of them was not only important for our performances on the field of play, but also as go-to guys in the changing rooms. One of our tasks is to fill that gap. It is still to be seen who will step up to the plate. Others will assume the role in another sort of way but that is not to say they will have any diminished effect.

WERDER.DE: The last four years have brought steady development to the club. Do you think Werder can take another step forward during the next campaign?

Ole Werner: The decisive factor lies in setting up the team in order for it to develop in the long-term. That has been done very successfully in recent years but now it is about making sure that happens again in the coming seasons. We will then see whether that next step is made in the following year or over the course of multiple. The work done in summer needs to be right and we need to set the team up well to allow for development to be possible, while also reaching our club targets. It is always possible to improve in sports and that past campaign was proof of that.

WERDER.DE: Now it’s time you head off on a well-deserved summer break. What will your time off consist of?

Ole Werner: Spending time with my family, my girlfriend and my friends. Some good weather would be nice, even if the conditions aren’t exactly tropical. That is the most important thing for me.

WERDER.DE: In the case, we wish some nice down time and a pleasant summer break!

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