Ex-HSV coach takes over
Deal fixed: Werder Bremen finds a new coach
Updated February 4, 2026 – 1:05 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
After the dismissal of Horst Steffen, Werder Bremen was looking for a successor. Now the Hanseatic people have found what they are looking for.
Werder Bremen has found a successor for the recently dismissed Horst Steffen. Daniel Thioune will be the new head coach of the Bundesliga club, which is in danger of relegation. The club announced this on Wednesday.
The “Bild” newspaper had previously reported that the 51-year-old was currently the absolute preferred candidate in Bremen after the signings of Bo Henriksen and Bo Svensson failed at the beginning of the week.
Werder’s managing director of football Clemens Fritz explained in the club’s announcement: “We had very good discussions with Daniel. His idea of football, his style and his approach to our current sporting situation were crucial for the decision.” They are convinced that they can turn things around with the new coach.
Thioune emphasized that he was looking forward to working with the team. “I am convinced that we will be able to work together successfully and achieve the club’s goals,” he emphasized. “After the very good discussions with those responsible, it quickly became clear to me that I wanted to go to Werder.”
Spicy: Thioune trained Hamburger SV between 2020 and 2021. The “Rothosen” are Bremen’s arch rivals.
Most recently, Thioune was on the sidelines for Fortuna Düsseldorf for three and a half years. With the Rhinelanders he missed promotion to the Bundesliga several times. In 2023, Düsseldorf narrowly missed out on relegation with fourth place. In 2024, the team lost a 3-0 lead from the first leg in the playoffs against VfL Bochum and ultimately lost on penalties. A year later, Fortuna ended up in sixth place in the table.
