Football Season Guide

Werder Bremen came close to ending a nine-year wait for European football but fell just short as they finished just one point behind seventh placed Eintracht Frankfurt though the campaign will be seen as a successful one for Florian Kohfeldt's side. It has been a very quiet summer for Bremen who have held on to almost all of their key players from last season though they have lost their top scorer from last three seasons with Max Kruse deciding not to renew his contract and has signed on for Fenerbahce. Aron Jóhannsson has also brought to an end an injury ridden spell with the German club, making just 28 appearances in the four seasons he was with Bremen. Niclas Fullkrug is Bremen's only major arrival in the transfer window so far and will be more than an adequate replacement for Kruse provided he manages to stay fit. Joshua Sargent is expected to be given more game time after impressing in the brief appearances last season while Bremen have also converted Marco Friedl's loan from Bayern Munchen into a permanent move. Bremen relied on a solid defense to see them through last season, with the club ending the campaign with the fifth best defensive record, and, with very few changes to the squad, Kohfeldt will be looking for more of the same this time around. Fullkrug represents a solid alternative to Kruse but the attacker struggled to stay fit last season and, should he suffer from another injury, Bremen could find themselves to be a bit light in the attack with Sargent yet to prove to be a reliable goalscorer while Claudio Pizarro is playing in his final season.