The storm continues to weaken
Before English Week: Werder with personnel concerns and hope
January 8, 2026 – 12:51 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Werder Bremen goes into the first Bundesliga game of the year without a new striker. Coach Horst Steffen is still hoping for a break ahead of the game against Hoffenheim – despite the crisis and a difficult program.
Werder Bremen starts the new football year without the hoped-for new signing for the Sturm. Coach Horst Steffen does not expect reinforcements to arrive before the English week. “As long as there is no new signing, I assume that we will play the three games with the current squad,” said the coach before the Bundesliga game against TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday (3:30 p.m./Sky).
This begins a particularly challenging week for the people of Bremen. After the game against Hoffenheim, two other top teams are waiting: Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt. Steffen is still hoping for a fresh start after recent difficult weeks. “We have a chance to show what we can do, to put our ideas on the pitch for the new year and to put an end to old things,” he said. The coach was confident “that the boys are motivated to step on the gas and reverse the negative trend.”
Werder has been without a win in five Bundesliga games. After a decent start to the season, the team slipped into a results crisis at the end of the year. Things aren’t going well offensively either: Bremen only scored 18 goals in 15 games this season. Center forwards Keke Topp and Victor Boniface are still waiting for their first goal of the season.
Boniface in particular is at risk of a longer outage. The attacker will most likely not play for Werder again due to knee problems. On Thursday, an examination by a knee specialist in Innsbruck will decide whether the Nigerian needs surgery and the loan deal with Bayer Leverkusen ends prematurely.
Finding a new attacker is difficult. No transfer has yet been made due to limited financial resources. Damion Downs was considered a possible candidate, but he chose Hamburger SV.
However, Steffen is not worried about the onset of winter. “I can’t foresee, so I have no idea what the pitch will look like,” said the coach. “If he’s free, nothing stands in the way of us being able to offer good football.”
There is still a small question mark behind goalkeeper Mio Backhaus. The keeper injured his eye in a collision during training. However, Steffen was optimistic that Backhaus can play against Hoffenheim. The decisive factor is whether the field of vision is clear.