Loan Rule: Bremen's Fritz Admits Misunderstanding - Werder Bremen admits breaking DFL loan rules after seventh signing
Werder Bremen has admitted breaking German Football League (DFL) personal loans rules after signing a seventh player on loan. The club initially believed it could only bring in six domestic personal loans but later discovered an oversight in its internal checks. Sporting director Clemens Fritz called the mistake a 'misjudgment' caused by poor communication.
Last Sunday, Werder Bremen announced the season-long loan of Serbian striker Jovan Milosevic from VfB Stuttgart. This signing pushed the club’s total to seven domestic personal loans, exceeding the DFL’s limit of six.
The club had already secured six players on loan: goalkeeper Karl Hein, defender Yukinari Sugawara, midfielders Cameron Puertas and Maximilian Wörber, winger Isaac Schmidt, and striker Victor Boniface. After these deals, Werder Bremen publicly stated no further domestic personal loans would be possible.
However, the club later received a tip from the Transfermarkt portal, suggesting additional personal loans might still be allowed. This prompted a review, revealing the earlier error. Fritz took full responsibility for the oversight and expressed frustration over the situation.
DFL rules permit clubs to loan up to six players from other German teams at once, though transfers from abroad do not count toward this limit. The club’s confusion stemmed from an internal breakdown in tracking its own personal loans deals.
Werder Bremen must now address the consequences of exceeding the personal loans cap. The club’s admission highlights the need for stricter internal checks on transfer policies. DFL officials have yet to comment on potential penalties for the breach.
