"Found their way back to old strengths" | OneFootball

Ole Werner is looking to extend Werder's unbeaten run to eight straight games (Photo: W.DE).

Press conference ahead of away game vs. 1. FC Heidenheim

Ahead of the final game of the season away at 1. FC Heidenheim on Saturday (17th May, 15:30 CEST), head coach Ole Werner spoke to the media about…

…the sporting importance of the final matchday: "In my eyes, there's a difference between finishing eighth or tenth at the end of the season, and there's also important television revenues at stake for the club. Another thing we want to do is break the 50-point mark, which is why we're heading into the game wanting to win. After all, it's also a lot nicer to head into the summer break having won your final game of the season."

…the potential for rotation: "I'll make changes where it makes sense to. We want to finish the season as high up the table as possible and our opponents also still have something to play for. It's about ending the season with a positive result on matchday 34, which is what I will base my starting line-up around."

…the team's motivation: "We didn't get the result we wanted to last week. Our training sessions this week have once again featured the right mix of clear-headedness and quality. We're well prepared just as we were for our previous 33 games. My team are fully focused on the task at hand and also want to head into the summer break with a win."

…being without Oliver Burke: "Oliver Burke will miss the game due to a badly bruised foot and we have several options to replace him. Justin is one of them, as is Grülli. We could also go with André Silva or Keke Topp. I obviously won't reveal just yet who will start alongside Duckschi."

"A well-defined idea of how we want to play"

…opponents Heidenheim: "Heidenheim have been able to find their way back to their old strengths recently. We've often struggled in the past to remain patient against them and allowed them too much space. That's something we need to improve on. Heidenheim are a very physical team and will look to attack early on and keep things hectic. We have to be prepared for that and manage to keep the game under control, while also not giving up too many chances."

…discussions about his future at SVW: "We'll meet again following the end of the season. If you're planning for the future, then you need to set clear goals and have a shared understanding of how to achieve those goals. We've been in talks for a while now and will meet once again after the season is over."

…the transfer period: "We have a well-defined idea of how we want to play and a budget that's smaller than that of some other clubs. That's why it's important for us to find the right players that fit our style and that have the right character. It's important to make progress in the way that we play. Additionally, we're also naturally focused on increasing the overall quality of our squad, something that can also happen via the development of the players currently at the club. That's something that every club is seeking to do, namely having a well-structured squad with plenty of quality in it."