Werder Bremen have been dealt a tough opponent for their UEFA Champions League qualifier. The draw in Nyon, Switzerland has pitted the Green-Whites against Italian 'Serie A' side Sampdoria...
Werder Bremen have been dealt a tough opponent for their UEFA Champions League qualifier. The draw in Nyon, Switzerland has pitted the Green-Whites against Italian 'Serie A' side Sampdoria...
Werder Bremen have been dealt a tough opponent for their UEFA Champions League qualifier. The draw in Nyon, Switzerland has pitted the Green-Whites against Italian 'Serie A' side Sampdoria Genoa.
And Werder were unlucky in the allocation of home and away rights. The Green-Whites must host the first leg at the 'Weser-Stadion', with the return leg to be held in Genoa. Executive manager Klaus Filbry had already commented on Thursday that "every minute counts" for Werder, in the current phase of reconstruction at the stadium in Bremen. An extra week would most certainly have relieved some of the pressure.
The team watched the draw on Friday afternoon from their training camp in Bad Waltersdorf. Later in the afternoon, trainer Thomas Schaaf and his men will travel to London, where they will play a friendly game against FC Fulham on Saturday, 07.08.2010.
General manager Klaus Allofs: "For a number of reasons, we had hoped to play the first leg away from home – in particular because of the construction work going on at the stadium, but it’s also a sporting challenge. Sportingly that would have been the same for any of the teams in the draw. We have experience of just how difficult these games can be from past meetings with Basel and Zagreb. This game will be similarly difficult, but I am sure that they won’t have celebrated in Genoa about being drawn against Werder Bremen."
Captain Torsten Frings: "It’s a difficult, but a good draw. Clashes between German and Italian teams are almost always classics, so we know just where we stand. I hope we get lots of support at the 'Weser-Stadion'." And head coach Thomas Schaaf is optimistic too: "It’s clear that it won’t be easy but we’ll take it as it comes. We have to go for it now and approach the task confidently."
