“A very good first half of the season”

“For me personally, it’s also really important that I’m directly involved in the goals, and that’s where making the second assists is crucial. One of my greatest strengths is initiating goal-scoring opportunities by playing in teammates for them to make the assist.” And this is clear in the statistics. Schmid has made one of the highest numbers of second assists in the Bundesliga so far this season, behind FC Bayern youngster Jamal Musiala.

Schmid, who joined SV Werder in January 2019 and recently signed an early contract extension, has matured as a player over the last few years and seen his self-confidence blossom during this time. “When I take a look at this season, I need to have the personal goal of becoming a regular starter. If I’m getting on the team sheet, it means I’ve performed well and made the most of my chances.” 

The midfielder’s development should also help him achieve his other target of playing at next year’s European Championships in Germany with the Austrian national team. Before that, however, there’s half a campaign to go at SVW. “The two are linked. I need to play well for Werder and have some success on the pitch. It’s the only way I’ll be able to present myself as an option for the national team.” Therefore, Schmid’s looking to make the most of the training time before the second half of the season kicks off, so that his side’s performances in the rest of 2023/24 are more consistent. “Unfortunately, our momentum so far this season has swung too much from good games to poor games. The problem is that we’ve not done well enough against the so-called ‘weaker’ sides, and we need to work on that.”