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Only the last remaining tickets are available as of Thursday afternoon for FSV’s clash with SV Werder Bremen on Saturday afternoon (15:30 CEST) at the MEWA ARENA. This is a result of the hard work from the Zerofivers in recent weeks, according to the head coach: “I’m extremely pleased that the stadium will be full. The boys have earned it, but a sold-out stadium puts a task on us, because we want everyone to come back,” said Bo Svensson at the press conference two days before the game at Easter weekend, for which he has the full squad at his disposal with the exception of the two long-term injured players Jonny Burkardt and Marlon Mustapha. Karim Onisiwo, meanwhile, has returned to team training, adding to the competition in the squad.
Sitting back out of the question
Thanks to the convincing 3-0 win against RB Leipzig, FSV have increased their points tally to 40 after 26 games, secured their place in the league and are now unbeaten in seven games (5 wins, 2 draws). This is an impressive record, but at the same time an incentive to keep at it and not give anything less, whether in the training week or at the weekend against the promoted side from the north. The Zerofivers’ coach was nevertheless asked whether there was a danger of individual players sitting back a little after the recent run of wins, and he had a clear answer ready: “Sitting back? I think that when you do something well, it should be much more of a motivation to repeat it and reward yourselves again.” This is the impression that his team also gives in training. “In Leipzig, the whole team worked and were active throughout the entire game. That’s difficult, but it’s also the benchmark and our expectation,” said Svensson, emphasising, “we’re not just trying to play average football here, we want to get better. This way it’s more enjoyable, even if it can’t be like that every day, but we will try in every game, also on Saturday. I don’t see any danger of us letting up at all and I see the boys at the same level as recently. The team are very clear in their attitude.
We’re not just trying to play average football here, we want to get better
Everyone is also aware that a completely different challenge awaits them against the team in 11th place in the table than against the Champions League participants Leipzig. Although the goal is three points, it is important to play to the limit. (Svensson: “That’s how I think, and that’s how the team thinks, too”). On the other hand, there are no games in the Bundesliga for Mainz 05 that naturally go one way or the other. “The recent home games have been close and it is unlikely that it will be different at the weekend,” warned the head coach, especially since the visitors have a different style with their dangerous duo up front, consisting of Niclas Füllkrug (15 goals this season) and Marvin Ducksch (8). His defence will face “completely different types of strikers,” stressed Svensson. “They are tall, strong in the air and hold the ball up well. We also know the quality of Bremen and their coach’s idea. As a promoted side, they have a clear level in their game, even if their results haven’t added up lately. They know what they have to do.”
Not the time for new objectives
Svensson himself knows what he stands for with Mainz 05, namely hard work, performance, attitude, intensity and success. At the same time, however, he also knows that he is not in the business of looking into a crystal ball or discussing aims for the future. After reaching the 40-point mark, it is far from his mind to call out new ambitions with a view to the European places: “There are still eight games to go. The focus is not on what could be in two months time. It’s about the next period, which we’ve talked about with the boys. If it makes sense and is realistic in a few weeks, I will also talk about Europe,” explained the head coach.
He has no problem, however, if players, as recently happened, express themselves more and want to set their sights on the European places, but this brings an obligation with it: “If it gives players additional motivation, it’s completely fine, but it’s also a commitment when it’s in the newspapers. We have to back it up with performances and the right attitude. That is the crucial part.”
If it gives players extra motivation, then it’s completely fine
Svensson goes into the remaining eight games as the Mainz head coach with the best points per game in the Bundesliga and has achieved a number of milestones in nearly two and a half years: from the sensational survival season in 2020 to consistent high-level performances in the pre-season to the recent runs which are paired with – for the most part – constant, reliable performances. The trend is right and is also well received, as the number of spectators suggests. While the match against Werder is expected to be played in front of a nearly sold-out crowd, tickets for the following match against Bayern Munich are already completely sold out more than two weeks before the game. The coach is pleased, because “in the past I have had the vision that we would like to have a full stadium at Mainz 05, regardless of the opponent.” The performances of his team are the foundation of this vision.
Only the last remaining tickets are available as of Thursday afternoon for FSV’s clash with SV Werder Bremen on Saturday afternoon (15:30 CEST) at the MEWA ARENA. This is a result of the hard work from the Zerofivers in recent weeks, according to the head coach: “I’m extremely pleased that the stadium will be full. The boys have earned it, but a sold-out stadium puts a task on us, because we want everyone to come back,” said Bo Svensson at the press conference two days before the game at Easter weekend, for which he has the full squad at his disposal with the exception of the two long-term injured players Jonny Burkardt and Marlon Mustapha. Karim Onisiwo, meanwhile, has returned to team training, adding to the competition in the squad.
Sitting back out of the question
Thanks to the convincing 3-0 win against RB Leipzig, FSV have increased their points tally to 40 after 26 games, secured their place in the league and are now unbeaten in seven games (5 wins, 2 draws). This is an impressive record, but at the same time an incentive to keep at it and not give anything less, whether in the training week or at the weekend against the promoted side from the north. The Zerofivers’ coach was nevertheless asked whether there was a danger of individual players sitting back a little after the recent run of wins, and he had a clear answer ready: “Sitting back? I think that when you do something well, it should be much more of a motivation to repeat it and reward yourselves again.” This is the impression that his team also gives in training. “In Leipzig, the whole team worked and were active throughout the entire game. That’s difficult, but it’s also the benchmark and our expectation,” said Svensson, emphasising, “we’re not just trying to play average football here, we want to get better. This way it’s more enjoyable, even if it can’t be like that every day, but we will try in every game, also on Saturday. I don’t see any danger of us letting up at all and I see the boys at the same level as recently. The team are very clear in their attitude.
We’re not just trying to play average football here, we want to get better
Everyone is also aware that a completely different challenge awaits them against the team in 11th place in the table than against the Champions League participants Leipzig. Although the goal is three points, it is important to play to the limit. (Svensson: “That’s how I think, and that’s how the team thinks, too”). On the other hand, there are no games in the Bundesliga for Mainz 05 that naturally go one way or the other. “The recent home games have been close and it is unlikely that it will be different at the weekend,” warned the head coach, especially since the visitors have a different style with their dangerous duo up front, consisting of Niclas Füllkrug (15 goals this season) and Marvin Ducksch (8). His defence will face “completely different types of strikers,” stressed Svensson. “They are tall, strong in the air and hold the ball up well. We also know the quality of Bremen and their coach’s idea. As a promoted side, they have a clear level in their game, even if their results haven’t added up lately. They know what they have to do.”
Not the time for new objectives
Svensson himself knows what he stands for with Mainz 05, namely hard work, performance, attitude, intensity and success. At the same time, however, he also knows that he is not in the business of looking into a crystal ball or discussing aims for the future. After reaching the 40-point mark, it is far from his mind to call out new ambitions with a view to the European places: “There are still eight games to go. The focus is not on what could be in two months time. It’s about the next period, which we’ve talked about with the boys. If it makes sense and is realistic in a few weeks, I will also talk about Europe,” explained the head coach.
He has no problem, however, if players, as recently happened, express themselves more and want to set their sights on the European places, but this brings an obligation with it: “If it gives players additional motivation, it’s completely fine, but it’s also a commitment when it’s in the newspapers. We have to back it up with performances and the right attitude. That is the crucial part.”
If it gives players extra motivation, then it’s completely fine
Svensson goes into the remaining eight games as the Mainz head coach with the best points per game in the Bundesliga and has achieved a number of milestones in nearly two and a half years: from the sensational survival season in 2020 to consistent high-level performances in the pre-season to the recent runs which are paired with – for the most part – constant, reliable performances. The trend is right and is also well received, as the number of spectators suggests. While the match against Werder is expected to be played in front of a nearly sold-out crowd, tickets for the following match against Bayern Munich are already completely sold out more than two weeks before the game. The coach is pleased, because “in the past I have had the vision that we would like to have a full stadium at Mainz 05, regardless of the opponent.” The performances of his team are the foundation of this vision.
