New Werder coach Horst Steffen starts with a friendly against FC Verden!

New Werder coach Horst Steffen starts with a friendly against FC Verden!

Stadion am Berliner Ring, Verden, Deutschland - The anticipation for the new season is noticeable, because the Werder Bremen recorded the summer preparation on Monday. With fresh ideas and a new man on the sidelines - Horst Steffen - the first test game is just around the corner. On Saturday, July 15, 2025, you will meet the Lower Saxony Oberligisten FC Verden 04.

At 3:30 p.m. the kick -off will be sounded and the Werderans are ready to show themselves. A change in tactics is expected under Horst Steffen. After switching from a chain of three to a more stable chain of four, the new coach hopes for an offensive game system that should bring a lot of possession of the ball. This is supplemented by a tight counterpressing in the event of a ball loss.

First impressions and player depth

his debut can celebrate Steffen in front of an impressive backdrop - over 5,000 tickets have already been sold. The newcomers are also ready, especially the talented Maximilian Wöber, which is expected to collect his first minutes in the Werder jersey. In addition, fans can look forward to rental returnees Dawid Kownacki and some talents from the U19, which are to be integrated into the first team.

However, there are also some failures to report. Striker Marvin Ducksch fails for several weeks due to a calf injury, and four national players - Marco Friedl, Romano Schmid, Marco Grüll and Felix Agu - are not in the squad due to an extended vacation. However, the team plans to use the half -time break for comprehensive change to give as many players as possible and to collect initial impressions.

test games as preparation

The upcoming games are not only exciting for fans, but also serve the team as important test runs. test games are applied training sessions that help implement the content of the preparation. Even if the result is not in the foreground, they are crucial to check the competitiveness of the players and to consolidate tactics. Especially with a new handwriting of a trainer, such games are of central importance for viewing the available players.

In the previous year, Werder faced a similar challenge when a test game against FC Verden 04 was already able to win 2-0. At that time, Ole Werner was still on the coaching bench, who has now taken over the job with Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. With Horst Steffen at the top, a new wind can be felt at Werder, and it remains to be seen how he and his team will inspire the audience on Saturday.

All eyes are directed towards the test game. The fans can look forward to a first appearance of the new tricos, which will represent the colors of the Bremen this season. If you can't be on site, you can follow live at Werder.tv and on the club's YouTube channel.