Cycling, strength tests and returning to the training pitch

Werder’s 2019/20 pre-season begins
The Werder players started pre-season with an intensive training session (Photo: nordphoto).
First Team
Sunday, 30.06.2019 / 18:45

Almost six weeks ago, the Werder players began their summer break after sacrificing all their energy and efforts last season as the Green-Whites narrowly missed out of European qualification. The hard work begins again now as Werder start pre-season preparations ahead of the 2019/20 Bundesliga season. The Green-Whites trained for the first time as a full squad on Sunday afternoon and there was some positive news to share to start the season.

The day started with cycling in the empty wohninvest WESERSTADION before the players entered the gym to pump some iron ahead of the first public training session of the summer. Florian Kohfeldt’s side stepped out in front of several Green-Whites fans onto the training pitches at 16:00 CEST to begin their training session in temperatures exceeding 30 degrees. Kohfeldt and new assistant coach Ilia Gruev led the side through an intensive session to begin pre-season. “The first impressions of the team are very good. These days are about getting used to playing football again,” said the head coach before adding: “For me, the most important thing at the start of the pre-season is that all of the players are healthy. That is currently the case for us.”

 

Three separate sessions to begin pre-season training

New signing Niklas Füllkrug, who is returning to the club from Hannover, and Fin Bartels are both healthy once more and were able to participate in full team training. Bartels missed much of the 2018/19 season with a long-term injury. “I’m finally able to kick a ball in training! I haven’t been here for long enough recently. The foot still as strong as the other one but it is improving even now. Apart from that, I’m feeling really good and I’ve done a lot of work in the summer break to get to where I am now,” admitted Bartels.

Having been in Bremen from 2006 to 2014 playing for the Green-White youth teams and the first team, Niklas Füllkrug was evidently pleased to be training with Werder again. “It doesn’t feel like anything new. I know several of players here from my previous spell here at Werder and therefore won’t need as long to settle back into the club and city,” said the striker regarding his return. With the exception of Niklas Moisander, who was training individually in the stadium, the entire Green-Whites squad completed the full session. These included club academy graduates Ilia Gruev and David Philipp as well as new U23s signing Benjamin Goller.

The Werder players will continue to follow a rigid programme over the course of the next few days as training continues. “This is the second year in which we have started our pre-season in this way. We have gathered a lot of good experience from doing this,” explained Florian Kohfeldt. Before the team travel to the Zillertal valley in Austria for their training camp (4th-14th July 2019), it will down to the players to ensure they raise their fitness levels to the necessary level. “From the first session, if I’m leading it, everyone should be able to train at full intensity without any problems. We will turn our attentions to the tactical side and specifics of our game during the training camp in the Zillertal valley,” added the head coach regarding his plan for pre-season.

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