Clemens Fritz explains Werder Bremen’s successful summer 2026 transfer class: “We had to meet every player face-to-face.”

Werder Bremen sporting director Clemens Fritz has revealed that the club introduced a new recruitment policy during the summer transfer window, insisting on meeting every prospective signing in person before completing a deal.

The change was designed to improve the character and mentality of a Bremen squad that narrowly avoided relegation last season. Speaking to Kicker ahead of Saturday’s Bundesliga meeting with SC Paderborn, Fritz explained that Werder’s management had placed particular emphasis on assessing players’ personalities when rebuilding Daniel Thioune’s squad.

“We placed a great deal of emphasis on character this year,” Fritz explained. “We wanted to change the mentality within the team.” The approach represented a departure from previous transfer windows, when Bremen occasionally relied on video calls to become acquainted with prospective recruits.