Head coach Ole Werner is looking forward to the upcoming first home game of the new season (Photo: W.DE).
After exactly 106 days, the ball is rolling again in the Weserstadion: Head coach Ole Werner and the Green-Whites will host Borussia Dortmund, a heavyweight in the top flight of football, on Saturday, August 31, 2024, at 3:30 p.m. (live on Sky and in the live ticker on WERDER.DE), for the home game opener of the new 2024/25 season. Before the match, the Werder coach answered questions from journalists.
The first home game of the new season is always something very special. In the case of SV Werder’s first appearance at the Weserstadion in 2024/25, it is especially special even before the kick-off has been blown. There will be a minute’s silence beforehand in honour of Willi Lemke. The kids’ escort will also wear “DANKE WILLI” lettering on their chests, and our team will also have “DANKE WILLI” lettering on their jerseys.
Another special feature will celebrate its premiere in the first home game of the new season in the Weserstadion, because for the first time the guest block in the lower tier of the west stand will be filled and is sold out with over 4,000 fans from Dortmund, just like the entire Weserstadion. “We’ll find out on Saturday whether it will be louder than before,” grins Ole Werner, adding: “It will also be a bit unusual to take a corner directly in front of the guest block. But since it’s a home game, it will be loud for us.”
The head coach has a full squad to choose from, only Amos Pieper, who is back in team training, will miss the match against his former club. “I think he can get back into full swing during the international break, maybe get a few minutes in the friendly in Münster and we’ll bring him back up to speed bit by bit.”
The sold-out Weserstadion will then welcome someone who wore the green and white jersey for two years and has been working in a new role at opponents Borussia Dortmund since this summer: BVB head coach Nuri Şahin. For Werner, the Black and Yellows are again among the title favorites despite finishing fifth in the table last year and he even rates them stronger under Şahin, who celebrated a 2-0 home win against Eintracht Frankfurt on the sidelines in his league debut as head coach. “Because they have strengthened their team in terms of names and I see a better structure and quality on the pitch. That is a real challenge for us.”
Nevertheless, Werder’s football coach believes his team has anything but no chance, the Green-Whites are unbeaten in seven matches across all competitions and seasons and have also shown that they “are competitive against top teams,” as Ole Werner emphasises. “We have to be clever and make the most of our moments. We know what qualities Dortmund has, so it’s all the more important that we bring our qualities onto the pitch.”
