Clemens Fritz: "We need to give it our all and show courage"

Clemens Fritz won the DFB-Pokal with Werder Bremen in 2009. Nowadays, the 40-year-old works for the club as head of first team football and scouting. In an interview with DFB, the 22-time Germany international spoke about tonight’s semi-final between Werder and RB Leipzig (20:30 CEST), the relegation battle and scouting.

DFB.de: Mr. Fritz, Bremen are right in the thick of the Bundesliga’s dramatic relegation battle. Is the cup semi-final a welcome change to the weekly fight for survival in the top-flight?

Clemens Fritz: The important thing is that we try to gain some confidence in the cup game. We know we’re playing against a very good team. RB Leipzig are an intense and dynamic team, very confident on the ball and very dangerous in their transition play. They are a top German and top European side. But it also happens to be a game where no one is expecting a lot from us. We need to give it our all and show courage.

DFB.de: Der SV Werder Bremen traf erst am 10. April auf RB Leipzig und verlor mit 1:4. Welche Erinnerungen haben Sie an das Spiel? SV Werder Bremen played RB Leipzig quite recently on 10 April, losing 4-1. What are your memories of the game?

Fritz: Bad memories. The first half especially was very forgettable. We wanted to try and get in behind quickly after winning possession, but that didn’t work out unfortunately. We deserved to lose. You could see that Leipzig have great quality even in tight spaces. It’s important that you play aggressively and go into challenges with a healthy amount of intensity. I don’t think you can compare a league game to a cup game, though.

DFB.de: How do you mean?

Fritz: Leipzig really want to reach the final, so they too are under more pressure than in the Bundesliga, where they have a cushion in the Champions League spots. I’m definitely expecting an exciting game.

DFB.de: SV Werder Bremen have lost the last seven league games, an unwanted club record. How do you explain this unexpected collapse?

Fritz: We knew all along that our Bundesliga status was not yet confirmed. We’ve had a tough run with games against Bayern, Dortmund, Wolfsburg and Leipzig. After five defeats on the trot the pressure against Mainz and Union Berlin had grown. Unfortunately we weren’t able to play with the right intensity last weekend in Berlin. That was very disappointing.

DFB.de: With games against Bayer Leverkusen, FC Augsburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach, the fixture schedule isn’t getting any easier…

Fritz: That’s a challenging run of games, but the advantage we’ve got compared to last season is that it’s in our hands this time. We still need to deliver though and cannot rely on any other teams for favours.

DFB.de: What do you make of the atmosphere within the club and the city right now?

Fritz: At the club we are focused and working hard. Obviously there are external factors at play, but we don’t let it influence us. We need to concentrate on our day-to-day work and on our next games – starting with Leipzig.

DFB.de: And what is your take on Florian Kohfeldt?

Fritz: We’ve spoken a lot over the last few days. He seems very focussed and fully concentrated. He works meticulously as a coach and he is open for discussions and suggestions. But he also has a clear plan in mind and he is pursuing that. It’s important that we all, including the staff in and around the team, focus one hundred percent on the tasks at hand.

DFB.de: What consequences would relegation to the 2. Bundesliga have for Werder Bremen?

Fritz: A relegation would have significant financial consequences. We would need cutbacks withing the squad. We’re already having to make cuts due to the pandemic. If we were relegated it would also mean less TV and sponsorship money.

DFB.de: Werder Bremen aren’t the only big club facing difficulties. FC Schalke 04 will be in the second division next season, Hamburger SV are currently near the end of their third season down there. 1. FC Köln and Hertha BSC are in the relegation battle. Why are these traditionally successful clubs struggling so much in the Bundesliga?

Fritz: That’s a tough question to answer, but you can see with HSV how hard it is to return to the Bundesliga. In previous years, these big clubs usually came straight back up after being relegated. But the second division has grown in quality – immediate returns are far from a given and have been for some time now. So we need to give everything we have to try and win this battle against relegation.

DFB.de: You currently run the club‘s scouting department. Werder Bremen used to be known for spotting and developing outstanding talents such as Johan Micoud, Mesut Özil and Diego. Is that more difficult today than it used to be?

Fritz: It’s hard for me to compare, since I didn’t work in scouting back then. The financial frameworks have obviously changes since then – transfer fees and salaries have increased. Then the pandemic came on top of all that, which meant that none of our scouts were able to be in attendance at any other games. It’s an immense challenge trying to use video and data scouting methods to reach the right decisions.

DFB.de: When observing potential new signings, do you draw distinctions between players who could help the team in the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga?

Fritz: It would be careless of us not to prepare for every scenario.

DFB.de: Werder Bremen have made public the fact that the coronavirus crisis and the resulting loss of gate income has led to a financial squeeze. Should the club reach the DFB-Pokal final, there would be a monetary bonus. Would that help the club sign a player or two that you and your scouting team may have earmarked?

Fritz: Of course that would massively help us financially. It is no secret that we needed to take out credit loans that need to be paid back. Such income would certainly be used for this as well. The bottom line is that we need to keep an eye on our budget.