Former Germany international Paul Freier visited Werder Bremen's training session on Tuesday afternoon. The 47-year-old, who earned 19 caps for his country, observed the session at the Weserstadion as part of his DFB Pro License coaching education, as reported by Bild Sport. The Green-Whites were preparing for their away match against 1. FC Köln on Saturday at 18:30, which will be broadcast on Sky. Werder currently sits in 10th place in the Bundesliga with three points, having scored four goals and conceded five in their first two matches.
Why was Paul Freier at Werder?
Paul Freier is currently working towards the highest German coaching qualification, the DFB Pro License. As an assistant coach at third-division side Rot-Weiss Essen, he uses observation visits at professional clubs to gain practical experience. His visit to Werder Bremen was part of this educational program. Freier, who played for clubs like Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Bochum during his career, had previously observed training at second-division side VfL Bochum. During the session at the Weserstadion, Werder U23 coach Cedric Makiadi was present, as was former Werder player Jerome Polenz, now an assistant coach at VfL Wolfsburg.
How did the training ahead of the Cologne match go?
The session on Tuesday took place following the 3-1 home win against RB Leipzig and served as preparation for the away game in Cologne. Felix Agu trained partially with the team for the first time in weeks. Midfielder Mitchell Weiser, however, was able to complete the full session. Not involved were Marco Friedl and Olivier Deman, who were rested for load management reasons. Senne Lynen trained individually due to knee problems. Coach Ole Werner's team worked with a mixed squad, sitting three points behind league leaders FC Augsburg.
What does the current league table mean for Werder?
After two matchdays, Werder Bremen occupies tenth place in the Bundesliga. One win and one loss have yielded three points and a negative goal difference of 4:5. The next match against 1. FC Köln is a direct duel for positions in mid-table, as Cologne currently sits in 11th place. You can find the complete current table situation and fixture list on our standings page. The team aims to carry the positive momentum from the Leipzig win and secure more points.
Who is available for Werder in Cologne?
The return of Felix Agu to parts of team training is a positive signal for the squad situation. The exact availability of players for the game in Cologne will become clearer in the coming days. We keep the latest information on the squad and any potential absences ready for you on our squad page. The match in Cologne on Saturday is scheduled for 18:30.
