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Werder Bremen sporting director Clemens Fritz has revealed that the club introduced a new recruitment policy during the summer transfer window, insisting on meeting every prospective signing in person before completing a deal. The change was designed to improve the character and mentality of a Bremen squad that narrowly avoided relegation last season.
Speaking to Kicker ahead of Saturday’s Bundesliga meeting with SC Paderborn, Fritz explained that Werder’s management had placed particular emphasis on assessing players’ personalities when rebuilding Daniel Thioune’s squad.
“We placed a great deal of emphasis on character this year,” Fritz explained. “We wanted to change the mentality within the team.”
The approach represented a departure from previous transfer windows, when Bremen occasionally relied on video calls to become acquainted with prospective recruits. This summer, no player was signed without first meeting the club’s decision-makers face-to-face.
“You simply get a better feeling when you’re sitting opposite someone and looking them in the eye than you do over [Microsoft] Teams, for example,” Fritz said.
The Werder executive acknowledged that the process required additional travel and preparation but insisted that the effort had been worthwhile.
All the above mentioned players have made significant contributions to Werder’s strong start to the 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign. Daniel Thioune’s Hanseaten are unbeaten in their last five fixtures.
Werder Bremen seek a fresh start after a series of transfer flops
Fritz’s remarks are particularly interesting given Werder’s recent difficulties in the transfer market. As examined in Get German Football News’ December 2025 winter transfer assessment, Bremen endured a series of disappointing attacking loan arrangements involving players such as André Silva, Rafael Santos Borré, and Victor Boniface. Former Liverpool midfielder Naby Keïta also represented an expensive experiment that ultimately failed to deliver the anticipated sporting benefits.
The problems were not limited to player performances.
In January, Fritz publicly acknowledged an embarrassing misunderstanding of Bundesliga loan regulations. Werder’s management had incorrectly assumed that six existing loan signings prevented the club from bringing in additional players on temporary agreements. An external intervention from Transfermarkt alerted Fritz and sporting director Peter Niemeyer to the mistake.
Fritz subsequently contacted the DFL and accepted personal responsibility for the misunderstanding.
That episode highlighted some of the organizational difficulties facing a club whose sporting management was already coming under considerable pressure. Following a disappointing 2025/26 campaign, Bremen consequently entered the summer seeking to improve both their squad and their internal decision-making processes.
Get German Football News’ comprehensive 2026/27 Werder Bremen tactical preview identified a noticeably more decisive approach to squad construction, with new squad planner Markus Pilawa potentially playing an important role in the club’s changed recruitment philosophy.
The extensive rebuild involved selling several prominent players, including Mio Backhaus, Romano Schmid, and Karim Coulibaly, while strengthening the squad through economical acquisitions, free transfers, and loan agreements. Fritz’s latest comments offer another explanation for the different atmosphere surrounding Werder’s recruitment operations.
Niclas Füllkrug provides the best example
Returning striker Niclas Füllkrug has emerged as a particularly influential figure in Bremen’s changing dressing-room culture. The 33-year-old has scored in four consecutive Bundesliga matches, but Fritz was especially eager to highlight his leadership and dedication away from competitive fixtures.
“That mindset of wanting more, taking that extra step, not just on the pitch but also in training: the way he demonstrates that and demands it from his teammates is a prime example,” Fritz said. “That does us good.”
The striker’s performances have also prompted Bremen to consider retaining him beyond his current loan from West Ham United, although Fritz emphasised that discussions about next summer remain premature.
