Werder Bremen coach Daniel Thioune made a joke about his own assistant ahead of the club's major legends match to celebrate the stadium's 100th anniversary. Christian Groß is part of the Werder legends squad that will face Real Madrid's veteran team on Saturday (6:30 p.m.) in a sold-out Weserstadion.
Thioune was amused when he saw the roster for the celebratory match. "I have now seen that Christian Groß is among the legends," the 52-year-old said. "Maximally impressive for me with all the other legends who are still there." Groß, also 52, who made 83 Bundesliga appearances for Werder, serves as Thioune's assistant coach in daily training.
Werder's squad reads like a who's who of club history. Alongside Groß, goalkeeper legends like Felix Wiedwald and Andreas Reinke are available. In defence, fans can expect Per Mertesacker, Naldo and Sokratis. The midfield will be shaped by greats like Torsten Frings, Diego, Zlatko Junuzović and Felix Kroos. Up front, Ailton, Ivan Klasnić and Markus Rosenberg are involved. The team will be led by manager legends Otto Rehhagel and Thomas Schaaf, assisted by coach Claudio Pizarro.
The guests from Real Madrid are managed by former coaches Rehhagel and Schaaf, along with assistant coaches Andreas Herzog and Pizarro. "I noticed how quickly this match was sold out," Thioune said.
While the legends celebrate, Werder's current first-team looks back on a solid start to the season. With seven points from four matches, Thioune's team sits eighth in the Bundesliga table. Their goal difference is even, with eight scored and eight conceded. Top scorer remains Niclas Füllkrug with three season goals, placing him prominently in the league's stats.
The team heads into the international break with positive momentum. The last five competitive matches yielded three wins, one draw and one defeat (WDWLW). The last game was a 3-2 win over FC Augsburg, with the team scoring five of their eight season goals within the first 15 minutes of either half.
The next Bundesliga fixture is a tough away trip on October 9th against current leaders Borussia Dortmund. Until then, Thioune will focus on preparation, while the Weserstadion on Saturday night belongs entirely to the heroes of the past.
This story first appeared at Bild Sport
