Werner's Move to the MLS: Lack of Appreciation a Factor

Former national team forward Timo Werner has spoken for the first time about the reasons behind his move to the San José Earthquakes in North America’s Major League Soccer. In an interview with “Transfermarkt,” the 30-year-old said that a feeling of not being appreciated had been a key factor.

“Then a few other things happened in my everyday life and in soccer that made me feel like I wasn’t being appreciated. But that’s part of a career: There are moments when things go well, and then there are times when they don’t go so well,” Werner said recently, following syndesmotic ligament surgery that cost him a spot on the national team for the 2024 Winter World Cup in Qatar.

A Career Like a Roller Coaster Ride

His career up to that point had been a roller coaster ride. “Sometimes I scored goals, sometimes I missed, sometimes I played for the national team and sometimes I didn’t. But I also won the Champions League with Chelsea. When I look back on what I’ve been able to experience in my career, I’m pretty satisfied with how everything turned out in the end,” said Werner, who had his best years at RB Leipzig.

He played for the Saxon club from 2016 to 2020 and from 2022 to January 2024. In 216 games, he scored 113 goals. He also played for his hometown club VfB Stuttgart, Chelsea FC, and Tottenham Hotspur.

“I just wanted to try something different. When you really think about it, it was basically just back and forth between London and Leipzig. I could have signed with another club in England; there were also options in Germany’s Bundesliga. Both leagues are fun, but it was simply time for something new,” said Werner, who also mentioned the attractive overall package offered to him by the U.S. club.