Horst Steffen: The new coach of Werder Bremen in focus!

Horst Steffen: The new coach of Werder Bremen in focus!

On October 4, 2025, Werder Bremen's new coach, Horst Steffen, attracted attention from the second team, who celebrated an impressive 4-0 win against VfB Lübeck in the Regionalliga Nord. Steffen, who was born on March 3, 1969, has set himself the goal of getting to know the club from the grassroots level. “I want to see everything with my own eyes,” he said as he cycled and walked through Bremen to familiarize himself with his new home. His clear focus: strengthening the social connection with his players, whom he looks after like a father.

The 56-year-old is the oldest and most inexperienced coach in the Bundesliga. Before taking the reins in Bremen, he worked for SV Elversberg for six years, where he managed to lead the team to Bundesliga relegation. Nevertheless, Steffen achieved debatable results when he took office, only picking up four points from five games. Whether this trend will change soon will become clear in the upcoming game against FC St. Pauli - a duel that has the potential to set the course for the rest of the season.

A trainer with an extraordinary philosophy

What sets Steffen apart from many of his predecessors is his approach to working in the relaxed and safe manner of his team. He places great value on the well-being of his players and differentiates between connection and connectedness. He also leaves a lot of the training content to his assistant Raphael Duarte, which allows him to use the expertise of his team while at the same time keeping an eye on his own mental stress.

His commitment to the players is remarkable. Steffen not only has an intact family, but also shows that football is not the only thing in life for him. In order to keep an eye on his own health, Steffen also began training as a naturopath after he had health problems during his active career.

A look at the history of Werder Bremen

Werder Bremen have given Steffen a three-year contract with the aim of putting the often turbulent times in the dugout behind them. It has already been shown in the past that continuity in the coaching position can lead to success, as evidenced by the long tenure of his predecessors. According to the history of Transfer market The last successful coaching period was from 2017 to 2021, in which Werder Bremen scored consistently.

The current challenges should not be underestimated. Werder Bremen is showing patience with Steffen as he goes through a period of change needed to replace key players and establish a new, attacking, high-intensity style of football. So far, however, things are not going smoothly, which makes the next steps all the more crucial.

The upcoming game against FC St. Pauli could therefore not only be important for the season, but also for Horst Steffen's future at Werder Bremen. All eyes are on him: Will he and his team turn things around?