Werder Bremen and the international break: Steffen remains frustrated!
SV Werder Bremen is preparing for the upcoming game against FC St. Pauli as 11 players travel for international matches.

Werder Bremen and the international break: Steffen remains frustrated!
SV Werder Bremen is once again confronted with a difficult situation that is already causing unrest in the rhythm of the Bundesliga. After the upcoming game against FC St. Pauli on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., which is the fourth of the season, the second international phase follows. This is particularly challenging for coach Horst Steffen, who has to do without eleven of his players who are on their way to their national teams. These interruptions, which disrupt the flow of the game and the team structure, clearly bother him. Weser courier reports that the squad for the current season has only been finalized for a few weeks.
However, coach Steffen also sees the situation in a positive light. International matches offer players the opportunity to gain international experience and prove themselves in other environments. Nevertheless, he emphasizes that the forced break after only four games represents a big challenge for the team, which first has to get used to it. Werder.de listaus that the interruption comes before the Bundesliga game against 1. FC Heidenheim on October 18th and that there is a risk of another international break in mid-November due to the World Cup qualification for 2026.
International match phase in focus
The players in focus are traveling for qualification for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in Canada, Mexico and the USA. It will be particularly exciting for Austria, which (like reported ) is hoping for the big tournament again after 1998 and has won all four games in Group H so far. Team boss Ralf Rangnick, who is recovering from a health challenge, will lead the team in the matches against San Marino and Romania.
Overall, the Werder team has to prepare for numerous exciting international duels. For example, Marco Friedl will play for the Austrian selection, which has good chances with its current form. Isaac Schmidt is also on the schedule for Switzerland, who will face Sweden and Slovenia, while Karl Hein will fight with Estonia against Italy. The U19 teams are also in strong action, with Karim Coulibaly and other talents from the DFB selection.
Changes to the game calendar
A look into the future shows that the international football calendar will change from 2026. T Online reports of a new international break in the autumn, which will consist of four games in the future and could lead to an even longer break for the Bundesliga. While the November break remains unchanged, this represents a fundamental change that will significantly impact planning for clubs and coaches.
In the current phase, it remains to be seen how the Werder Bremen team will respond to the upcoming challenges on the national and international stage. The imponderables caused by international breaks are not new in the proud football tradition of the Hanseatic League, but it will be exciting to see how the team and coach will adapt to these circumstances.