Werder Bremen decide to keep coach Kohfeldt after narrow escape

Berlin, July 10, 2020 (AFP) - Werder Bremen confirmed Friday that Florian Kohfeldt will remain head coach next season after narrowly avoiding an historic relegation from the Bundesliga in a play-off.

The club's board confirmed both Kohfeldt, 37, and sports director Frank Baumann keep their roles despite needing away goals in the relegation play-off to preserve Bremen's record as the club with the most season in Germany's top flight.

"After very open, very honest and a very self-critical review of a season in which we did not achieve our goals... the personnel constellation will continue," said board chairman Klaus Filbry.

Kohfeldt said it had been a "crap season, happy ending" after Bremen's 2-2 draw at Heidenheim last Monday in the relegation/promotion play-off, second leg, kept them up after a goalless first leg.

Bremen sneaked into the play-off with a 6-1 thrashing of Cologne on the last day of the Bundesliga season with only their second home league win of 2019-20.

Having been promoted internally to head coach in October 2017 after predecessor Alexander Nouri was sacked with the team in the relegation places, Kohfeldt pulled Bremen up the table to finish 11th in 2017-18.

They managed eighth last season, but 2019-20 was a disaster with dreams of finishing in the top seven and a place in Europe dashed by two wins in their first 12 league games.