Karl Hein will be the number one goalkeeper for Werder Bremen in the upcoming Bundesliga season. Manager Daniel Thioune publicly confirmed the decision for the 24-year-old Estonian international ahead of Sunday's season opener away to SC Freiburg, as reported by Kicker. Hein recently struggled with muscular problems, missing the final friendly against Auxerre and the DFB-Pokal win over Lüneburger SK. In his absence, new signing Alexander Schlager, the Austrian national keeper, deputised. Schlager's arrival became necessary after previous goalkeeper Mio Backhaus transferred to SC Freiburg for a base fee of 12 million euros, paving the way for Hein's promotion.
Werder Bremen enters the new season from a 15th-place finish in the 2025 final table, with 32 points from 34 matches. The team scored 37 goals and conceded 60, resulting in a negative 23 goal difference. In the title race, the club finished 57 points behind record champions Bayern Munich. The first opponent is SC Freiburg, who finished seventh last season. All upcoming matches can be found on our fixtures page.
Who won the goalkeeper battle?
The goalkeeper question at Werder Bremen has been decisively answered. Daniel Thioune stated verbatim: "He will be in goal on Sunday and will also go into the season as number one - I can confirm that." This statement ends all speculation about the position. Karl Hein, who has been part of the squad since 2024, thus receives the coach's trust despite not completing the full pre-season. His competitor Alexander Schlager will provide reliable backup. Goalkeeping coach Kiki Vander will face his former protégé Mio Backhaus before the match. Thioune expects friendly words to be exchanged between those involved after the final whistle and hinted he would like Backhaus to have to reach for the ball a few times during the game.
What is Niclas Füllkrug's condition?
Alongside the goalkeeper decision, there is positive news from the attack. The 33-year-old striker Niclas Füllkrug is in surprisingly good physical condition, despite having very little match practice during pre-season. He made his debut in the DFB-Pokal and immediately made a strong impression through his personality and presence. Due to this positive development, it is highly likely Füllkrug will be in Werder Bremen's starting lineup on Sunday. His experience and goal-scoring qualities will be of great value to a team that struggled with chance conversion last season. The current squad overview shows his firm place in the team.
What does the decision mean for the team?
Clarifying the goalkeeper situation provides planning security for the entire defence ahead of the season opener. Captain Marco Friedl, whom Thioune publicly confirmed as the leader about a week before the cup start, can now rely on a settled last line of defence. Defensive stability will play a key role as Werder attempts to move on from last year's poor record of eight wins, eight draws, and 18 defeats. Every detail of the players' performances is documented in our stats. The coach sees further potential in Karl Hein, emphasising, "And his journey is not over yet." The first test awaits on 30 August in Freiburg against a direct competitor for places in the secure middle of the table. A look at the standings clarifies the starting position for this important task.
