Klaus Allofs Takes Questions In Erfurt

First Team
Friday, 19.01.2007 / 17:49

Prior to Werder’s friendly against Rot-Weiß Erfurt on Friday evening (kick-off 7:15pm, live on DSF), general manager Klaus Allofs too time to peak to some journalists at the team hotel.

Prior to Werder’s friendly against Rot-Weiß Erfurt on Friday evening (kick-off 7:15pm, live on DSF), general manager Klaus Allofs too time to peak to some journalists at the team hotel. The main focus of the interview was Werder’s up-coming game, the Green-Whites protagonists and the biggest focus points in German football. We’ve put together the most important statements made by Klaus Allofs and how all of these questions reflect on Werder Bremen.

 

Mr. Allofs, hurricane Kyrill swept over Germany yesterday evening, did you have a good flight?

Allofs: We did worry about that yesterday. I have absolutely no fear of flying myself but some of the players did ask about the weather conditions for flying today and made a nervous trip to the airport today. The flight was o.k. but we had a bit of a bumpy landing in Erfurt.

 

How did this Werder tie in Erfurt come about?

We are always quite happy to support smaller clubs with a friendly game. We were in negotiations with Erfurt last year but we could find a free date – so we’re here today.

 

How much emphasis does this game have for the Bundesliga league leaders?

We are currently preparing for the second half of the season, of which we have great expectations. This is one of our last two friendly matches. The trainers want to try a few things out, simulate realistic situations and check the player form. That’s why we are here with our strongest team. Only Hugo Almeida and Miroslav Klose are carrying knocks and won’t be able to take part. We will be able to present our new signing Peter Niemeyer though.

 

The Erfurt game is a return home for your defender Clemens Fritz. How do you see his development at Werder, which has even led to his call-up to the German national team?

Without sounding arrogant, that’s what we expected. We had been watching Clemens and were of the opinion that his ability and potential had not yet been completely exposed. He was highly motivated and determined from day one with us and took on the battle with Patrick Owomoyela for a place in the first eleven. We are delighted to have Clemens in our side, he’s good for the team, he’s a nice guy – it’s just fun to work with him.

 

Lets make a leap from Erfurt to England. Details of a new contract concerning television rights have been announced which, from a German point of view, will mean enormous takings for the clubs in the country. With that in mind, how do you see the potential of the Bundesliga on an international level?

We must be perfectly honest in saying that we can’t sign the absolutely top players. The likelihood of playing at the very top level or winning the Champions League then sinks. You can see that now with the example of John Carew. If you want to sign a player like that, you have competition from all over Europe. Even teams who only play second fiddle in their leagues. The German Football Federation (DFL) will have to continue to work on generating higher revenues. Things are headed in the right direction and that’s the only way forward.

 

Is John Carew seen as a replacement for Miroslav Klose?

No, considering the injury to Ivan Klasnic and the sale of Mohamed Zidan, we are looking for someone who can help the team with immediate effect. I personally would like to see Klose and Carew as our two strikers next season. I’d just like to make it clear again. There is definitely not as if we are surely going to lose Miro in summer. There are of course a number of interested parties but he has said himself that he could imagine staying at Werder and he does have a contract until 2008.

 

Would you understand a move from Klose to FC Bayern Munich?

Of course there are realistic arguments for a player like Miro to move to another club. For example, if during the course of his career he would like to make a move abroad. Iwent to France too when I was 30. A move to Munich, even if it is Bayern, doesn’t fall into that category. I would exclude that possibility.

 

Have Werder overtaken Bayern in some areas?

The perception is maybe so that we have, in some way, surpassed Bayern so far as the attractiveness of our style of play is concerned. We get lots of feedback about that. On the other hand we are a great distance apart on a financial level. Bayern have surely taken notice though. That is a club that can be dangerous to us in certain areas. We are at a maximum and the difference here can’t be allowed to increase – it’s probably actually been reduced. One thing is clear, the one who is in the right will be champions at the end of the season. On a sporting level we are of course foes. We don’t want to see Bayern above us or signing good players ahead of us. We have a very relaxed relationship in the general framework of things. There are many other clubs that we don’t have such close contact with. When we are in Munich, we are always invited to dinner, even if there has been a little knife twisting before hand. We do have a responsibility in the league though which is similar to the players and how they have to handle themselves on the pitch. Fact is that a player will do all inhis power to remain just within the limits of fairness to win an advantage but there must be an element of respect and acceptance.

 

To return to the players here in Erfurt. How do you see the situation with football in the former East German states?

It would be a good thing if more teams from the former East German states were represented in the Bundesliga. At the moment there is only Cottbus as you can’t really count Berlin. It would be good to see some new teams coming through. For example it would be a very positive thing to see Hansa Rostock getting promoted. The quality that is here in the east can be easily seen by the number of players from here who are at the bigger clubs in the country.

 

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