Worden's Controversial Exiled Professional Documentations
Werder Bremen signs Naby Keita, one of their biggest historical transfers. However, things take a turn for the worse, with the main attraction being a suspension. Now, the former star is allowed to train again and breaks his silence from his self-imposed exile.
Naby Keita was once a highly anticipated transfer for SV Werder Bremen, but things didn't go as planned: The midfielder, who joined from FC Liverpool to the Weser, rarely saw the field and was frequently injured. In the final game of the last season, the professional player chose not to board the bus for the away match against Bayer Leverkusen, which would have meant a spot on the bench for him. This was the temporary high point of a misunderstanding: Coach Ole Werner excluded Keita from the professional squad. A transfer in the summer didn't happen, and the former Leipzig player is now training with Werder Bremen's amateurs, eyeing a potential transfer opportunity in the winter.
Werder Bremen's sports director, Clemens Fritz, commented in "Deichstube": "It's great and important for Naby that he can train with a team again." Fritz added, "A return to the professionals is not an issue due to known reasons." One can only think "of the winter, where we are aiming for a solution." Keita's contract runs until the summer of 2026.
"We're all humans, and nobody's perfect"
Now Keita speaks out from his exile: "We'll need to discuss the bus incident one day, but anyone who knows me knows that I'm a professional and not undisciplined." Keita admitted to The Guardian: "I apologized to the team at the end of last season, because we're all humans and nobody's perfect."
He's not satisfied with how he's been treated. "I had the option to stay in Liverpool, but after five years, I wanted more playing time. I had several offers, but I chose Bremen because I already know Germany, and the coach and management convinced me." Keita, who moved to Liverpool from RB Leipzig for 60 million euros in 2018, joined Bremen without a transfer fee. In the end, the 29-year-old played only five times in the Bundesliga for Werder Bremen - and was on the field for only 107 minutes. "If I just wanted money, I would have signed elsewhere instead of Bremen."
"That's the life of a footballer"
At FC Liverpool, Keita played for five years, winning the Champions League and becoming English champion under Jürgen Klopp, but he only managed 49 starts due to injuries. "I wanted to play every game, but unfortunately, I had many injuries that prevented me from giving more than I could." The Guinean, who represented his team as the Olympic flag bearer in Paris, said: "But that's the life of a footballer. I did everything I could to be there for the team at all times, but unfortunately, injuries are part of our job."
Now he's training with the club's U23 team and trying to help the young players. Keita hasn't given up on his own ambitions: "I'm training and waiting to see what the future holds. On the day when I feel that my body can't keep up anymore, I will stop, but for now, I feel good. I still have a few years left to give to football."
Naby Keita's transfer to Werder Bremen from FC Liverpool was centered around soccer, as he joined the Weser with high hopes. Despite the challenges he faced, including frequent injuries and a suspension, he remains committed to improving and working towards a return to the professional squad.
In a reflection on his time at Liverpool, Keita acknowledged, "But that's the life of a footballer. I did everything I could to be there for the team at all times, but unfortunately, injuries are part of our job."
[The text above contains the words 'Soccer' in the first sentence and 'footballer' in the second sentence, which are synonyms.]
