"Play great football": Werder's new coach wants to inspire

Horst Steffen has arrived in Bremen and the new coach could quickly be well-received by Werder and its fans with his clear idea of ​​football.

Horst Steffen didn't yet have the Bremen greeting "Moin" at his disposal when he was introduced on Tuesday, but his first 45-minute speech as Werder coach left exactly the impression one would have expected. Many describe Steffen as a people-pleaser.

The 56-year-old Rhineland native truly has a very open, approachable demeanor, and his authentic manner makes him a likeable person. He seems to have no reservations about contact. Steffen had already demonstrated this at his seven previous coaching positions over the past few years, most recently during his seven years at SV Elversberg. The fact that he had led the small village club from Saarland from the Regionalliga almost all the way to the Bundesliga also made Steffen attractive to other clubs.

"I've coached in almost every league in my life," Steffen says. But the Bundesliga was still missing from his experience. And so, the wider football public is now getting to know him all over again. The former professional is practically a latecomer to the top flight. He says he'd had offers before, but when Werder got in touch, "I didn't have to think twice. I knew this was my chance to develop further."

Steffen's primary goal in Bremen is to further develop the team, bringing his knack for identifying young talent to the table. "Generally speaking, I like to use young players," Steffen said. "But the potential has to be there, too." Steffen has already been able to gain an impression of Werder's U19 team, which recently won the DFB Cup, through his video screenings. "They're good guys. One or two of them could move up."

But Steffen also made it clear that established players are certainly not out of his league. "Young, middle-aged, old" – the new Werder coach likes players of all ages, almost like cheese. However, after barely a week in his new role at Werder, Steffen doesn't want to commit to goals or players too quickly. He wants to gather plenty of impressions first, watch videos, and have discussions.

He remains true to himself and doesn't let his composure be dampened even in the hectic Bundesliga environment. But when he talks about football itself, he shines even brighter, using clear, simple slogans that many fans of the sport can probably identify with.

Joy of playing, commitment, team spirit, intensity, community – the joy and excitement of playing football should be transmitted, even to the fans in the stands and in front of the television screens. That's Steffen's philosophy, and he repeatedly emphasizes how important values ​​are to him. Much of what he says sounds like very clear, yet simple, principles. But in professional football, these are perhaps the most difficult to implement. "I'm happy that I keep getting messages from former players from all sorts of leagues," says Steffen: "Then you realize that you've left something of value behind."

Whether he'll be able to do the same in Bremen remains to be seen. Steffen smiles a lot today. He radiates great enthusiasm and curiosity for his new role, and his personality conveys exactly the kind of enthusiasm he wants to ignite on the pitch with Werder. Which players he'll be able to use to achieve this in the coming season remains to be seen. However, according to managing director Clemens Fritz, squad planning is already underway. In any case, Werder has already found its ideal candidate for the coaching position.

This topic in the program: Sportblitz, June 2, 2025, 6:06 p.m.

• Werder Bremen
• football
• Bundesliga