Marco Friedl has signed with Werder Bremen

Werder Bremen has announced the signing of defender Marco Friedl. Friedl, who came to Werder Bremen on an 18-month loan in January last year, began his senior career with Bayern Munich II in the 2015-16 season. He made his professional debut as a starter in the UEFA Champions League match in November 2017, playing for Bayern against Anderlecht. Three days later, Friedl made his Bundesliga debut, which turned out to be his only Bundesliga game for Die Roten.

Sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic thanked Friedl by stating,

Marco has always given everything for Bayern. Now he is taking the next step. We wish him all the best for his future.

Friedl himself has commented on his move on the Werder Bremen website:

I felt really good at Werder from the very first moment. It’s not just in the last few months that you can tell that things are developing here. I am pleased that I can continue to contribute to this development in the future

Friedl’s current coach, Florian Kohfledt, is also very satisfied with the transfer:

I’ve always stressed that we rate Marco very highly and that he can play an important role in the future of our defense. He has shown this time and time again this season and I am pleased that he wants to continue his development with us.

As of right now, both the clubs have decided not to reveal the transfer fee or Friedl’s new wages.

BFW Analysis

That Marco Friedl has talent is clear. He has so far played for every youth team in Austria, from playing for the U-15 team in 2013 to currently playing on Austria’s U-21 team. That said, the fact that Bayern has let him go may be the noble thing to do. Since leaving Bayern in January 2018, Friedl managed to play in only 16 league games for Werder in total. Considering that Friedl played only 7 Bundesliga games in total in the 2018/19 season, it is safe to say that, as of now, he does not have the quality to compete for minutes in Bayern’s first team.

Salihamidzic’s statement sums up the situation perfectly: he he has done his part at Bayern, and it is time to let Friedl go for the sake of his own development.

We at BFW wish Marco the best of luck at his new club!