SV Werder Bremen

[Oliver_Kahn]

They beat Alkmaar 2-1 last week, I think.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Bremen are crowned 'Autumn Chmapions' as they beat Wolfsburg 2-1 at home.

[Oliver_Kahn]

It's better for everyone if he leaves.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Bremen lost in the CL, but they are playing very well in the Bundesliga.
Bremen are currently is 1st place with the same number of pts as Schalke.

Can they keep it up ?

[Oliver_Kahn]

Four In A Row: Diego Is 'PLayer of the Month' For December

It was this season's fifth 'Player of the Month' award and for the fourth time it was a Werder player who took the honour. With more than half of the votes going in his favour (51.3%), Diego took the award for the third time himself in his relatively young Bundesliga career. The Brazilian international shook off the threat of Christian Pander (Schalke 04, 35.2%) and VfB Stuttgart's matthieu Delpierre (13,5%).

Diego's most likely arguments for taking the award were his performances in particular in Berlin and Frankfurt. The number 10 gave Werder the 1:0 lead in Berlin from the penalty spot and had a vitalpart to play in the half dozen goals which thr Green-Whites scored against Eintracht, providing Werder's 2:1 and scoring the 6:2 himself. The result of all this is that the 21 year has picked up an amazing 18 scorer points from just 16 Bundesliga appearances, consisting of eight goals and ten assists.

Diego's December award follows Miroslav Klose making the running in November, picking up his prize before Werder won the 'Winter Championship' with a 2:1 win against Wolfsburg. The young Brazilian took the award in August and in October whilst Jan Schlaudraff from Alemannia Aachen too the September title. Diego and Miroslav Klose are now hot on the heals of Bayern Munich's Lukas Podolski (who has taken four awards) with three wins each.

http://www.werder.de/english/news/meldung.php?id=720

[Oliver_Kahn]

Klaus Allofs is Bremen's sporting director and one of the men behind Werder's success. bundesliga.de met up with him to talk business.


Klaus Allofs is Werder Bremen's "Manager of professional football". That's the official and exact specification.

You could also say that he is the sporting director of the Champions League participants that narrowly missed out on the group stages behind Chelsea and Barcelona.

Or that he's the one pulling the strings, together with head coach Thomas Schaaf. Allofs's contract runs until 2009.

bundesliga.de: Klaus Allofs, as Werder Bremen's sporting director, you've gained a reputation for having the ability to sign great players. How did you get players such as Diego and Wome to play for Werder?

Klaus Allofs: Well, in the case of Diego or Wome, it has become a lot easier, because we are able to highlight the sporting perspective of playing at Werder. We can show what development other players have had with the club in the past. That's a good argument. But in the past it was tougher. An example is Johan Micoud. He knew about Werder Bremen, but less about the city, and that meant we had to use all of our persuasive skills. But now Werder has an international reputation, which makes it easier for us to convince players to sign for us.

bundesliga.de: In Miroslav Klose, Werder has one of Europe's most wanted strikers on the team sheet. How can you convince him to stay in Bremen and ultimately the Bundesliga?

Allofs: It's really not that easy, but I still point out the sporting perspective of playing for Werder Bremen. But we have to be honest about this. When the temptations of playing abroad come, and when it comes down to money, Werder won't be able to keep up. But I am convinced that we will be seeing Miroslav Klose in the Bundesliga, and he'll be playing for Werder Bremen and not for any other club.

bundesliga.de: How would you compare the Bundesliga of today with the era in which you yourself were a player?

Allofs: One thing has remained the same: it's still an interesting league. Week in, week out, round for round, there's a lot of excitement and it's a great product. I don't think that anything has changed in that respect. Of course, the way the Bundesliga is presented to the fans has changed, and you cannot compare the quality of the stadiums or the service. Reporting has become a lot more intense. In the past, it was normal to see a few reports on the matches. You rarely saw a live match. Nowadays, you can watch every game, and view all the goals from every conceivable position. They're even highlighted, and the enthusiasm has kept on growing.

bundesliga.de: You were the Bundesliga's top goal scorer in 1979 and 1985. What does that mean to you?

Allofs: Well it's natural that it really does mean something for a striker. It never ceases to motivate you and it keeps you going and spurns you on, because you simply want to be the best. Of course, football is a team sport, and the team is everything. But there are certain fields that come down to the individual, such as becoming the top scorer. Back then, I was hell bent on winning this accolade, especially in 1979. I was playing for Fortuna Düsseldorf, which was what you could call an average club at the time. And I managed to become the league's top goal scorer. That helped me to gain a place in the German national team more quickly, as was often the case back then.

bundesliga.de: In your opinion, what can Werder Bremen achieve this season?

Allofs: We want to win the Bundesliga and the UEFA Cup!

[Oliver_Kahn]

Bremen have the team to do it.

I hope they win the Uefa Cup, but finish 2nd behind Bayern in the Bundesliga

[Pennywise]

Werder Bremen can both win Bundesliga and the UEFA Cup, but you also need some luck if you shall success..

Bremen did not go winder in the CL...but look at the opponents in their group...Chelsea and Barca.

[Pennywise]

One of the most entertaining clubs in Europe IMO!

[Oliver_Kahn]

Bremen is probably a top 20 team in Europe

[Oliver_Kahn]

Hamburg and Deportivo La Coruna have both been linked with a move for John Carew as Lyon prepare to sell the striker in January.

The giant Norwegian looks set to leave Stade Gerland in the New Year despite the limited attacking options open to Gerard Houllier.

Lyon are believed to favour a permanent switch, rather than a loan deal, and German side Hamburg have become the latest club to be linked with the former Valencia man.

However Carew is understood to favour a return to Spain and Deportivo have emerged as serious contenders for his signature.

The Primera Liga side may not be able to match Lyon's reported demands of €7.6million (£5.1million) though, so Carew's final destination remains no clearer with just days to go before the transfer window opens.

Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder has already ruled out any potential move for the Norwegian international.

Sky Sports - The Best Sport Coverage From Around The World

[Oliver_Kahn]

He would certainly be a great signing for Hamburg

[kennethlindheim]

Indeed. He is a very good player.

[Oliver_Kahn]

What happened to him at Lyon ?

[simaozinho200]

yes i agree