Junuzovic: Return of RB Salzburg players not an issue for Werder
It was probably a small declaration of love that Zlatko Junuzovic sent to SV Werder Bremen via the “Bild” newspaper a few days ago. “There’s definitely still a lot of Werder in me,” said the Austrian, who worked for RB Salzburg and revealed that he still follows every game of his former club on TV: “It’s fun to watch Werder football .” From 2012 to 2018, Junuzovic himself played for Green and White, made 198 competitive appearances and was always popular with the fans. Since the 34-year-old’s contract in Salzburg, which expires in the summer, will not be extended, the question of his sporting future naturally comes into focus. When asked if he would like to play for Werder again, Junuzovic: “Everything is possible, even if nothing concrete has been said at the moment.” He didn’t want to rule anything out. Which was a topic in the world that was probably a topic of conversation in fan circles – but Werder itself treats it with maximum composure.
Of course, they also took note of Junuzovic’s statements on the Osterdeich, but in no way interpreted them as the first public initiation of a return. “Well, I don’t read that Zladdi is thinking intensively about returning,” says Clemens Fritz in an interview with our Deichstube. For Werder’s head of professional football, who used to be on the pitch with Junuzovic, it’s more of the obligatory kind that footballers say when they’re asked about possible changes of club. Keeping everything open, just not excluding anything – that basically applies constantly and always. “What else should Zladdi say?” asks Fritz, referring to the great importance that the midfielder from Austria once had for Werder – and finally says: “For us, a commitment is not an issue”.
As is well known, Werder follows a completely different path when it comes to squad planning. The focus is on the goal of building a young and viable team. A 34-year-old Junuzovic, who has been out for almost a year with a persistent heel injury, no longer fits into the picture.