Kiel (AP) – Holstein Kiel’s sports director Uwe Stöver is looking forward to the next game against table leaders Werder Bremen and long-standing Kiel coach Ole Werner.
“We’re playing against the leaders and a long-standing Bundesliga team. There’s also a reunion with an old acquaintance, which is also special,” said the sporting director in a “kicker” interview. “For Ole it’s a game against the club he’s worked for for over a decade. It will be special for him.”
The people of Kiel have to compete in Bremen on Friday (6.30 p.m. / Sky). Werder is fighting for promotion to the Bundesliga, Holstein has almost saved itself under Werner’s successor Marcel Rapp. “There will be joy when it is mathematically certain,” emphasized Stöver.
The 33-year-old Werner resigned last September after almost two years as coach of the Kiel professionals. Last season he had led the team to the promotion relegation, but failed there at 1. FC Köln. Overall, he was active with interruptions for more than 20 years as a player and coach of different teams at Holstein.
After the 1: 2 in the first half of the season in Kiel, he was presented in Bremen as the successor to Markus Beginning, who resigned because of the vaccination card affair. Werner led Werder back into the promotion race from tenth place with seven wins in the first seven games under his direction. On Saturday, the Bremen team fell 4-1 in Gelsenkirchen Schalke 04 from the top of the table.