From a picture-perfect slide tackle to saying goodbye to a club legend

At the end of the season, 1. FSV Mainz 05 can be proud of their solid return: eighth place, 46 points, 50 goals scored and 45 conceded. However, the story of last season goes far beyond the numbers in the table. We have chosen 05 memorable moments from 2021/22 that are worth looking back on one more time.

01 – Niklas Tauer’s slide tackle

Niklas Tauer’s slide tackle on the opening day against Leipzig was a real work of art. The Mainz academy product wasn’t only able to prevent a goal, but also exemplified the fighting spirit the Zerofivers brought to the pitch that day. Mainz were without several regular starters due to a Coronavirus outbreak, and were forced to name a bench consisting almost entirely of academy players and Luca Kilian. A total of 10,500 home fans were on hand to cheer their team on to a 1-0 win. “To pick up a result like that is fantastic, but the way in which we played as a team was the best part of it for me,” Bo Svensson said afterwards. Tauer’s slide-tackle to deny Christopher Nkunku from almost certainly scoring was representative of the spirit that would go on to define much of the season to come.

02 – Party time in Mainz!

Marcus Ingvartsen is usually very cool, calm and collected. Nothing exemplified this more than when he showcased his quick feet to roll the ball past a tangle of Leverkusen defenders to put Mainz 3-2 up to set off a wave of Karneval-fueled ecstasy amongst the costumed fans in the MEWA ARENA. The Zerofivers had plenty to celebrate at home this season, with wins against Wolfsburg, Hertha and Bayern to name just a few. FSV picked up 35 of their 46 points in 2021/22 on their own patch, feeding off the support from the home fans, who were finally able to return in full force after pandemic-related capacity limits were loosened.

03 – Three penalties in 14 minutes

Mainz know how to take penalties. Since 2013, when Ádám Szalai had a spot-kick saved by then Nürnberg goalkeeper Raphael Schäfer, the Zerofivers have scored every penalty they have attempted in the Bundesliga. After being awarded just one penalty in the first 27 matchdays this season, Mainz won three penalties at home against Arminia Bielefeld. Captain Moussa Niakhaté, Jonny Burkardt and Marcus Ingvartsen all scored from the spot in the space of just 14 minutes. Never before in Bundesliga history had three different players scored a penalty for the same team in a single game. The match got off on the right foot, with the club announcing goalkeeper Robin Zentner had extended his contract ahead of kick-off. “Three points are always nice, but the atmosphere is even more important and is what I associate with the club, and it’s what we need to stand for,” Svensson said.

04 – Finally an away win!

In contrast to their strong form at home, Mainz struggled to replicate this success on the road this season. FSV picked up just three away wins in 2021/22, suffering 12 defeats away from home. Even when the team played well, they lacked the ability to see the result through over the course of a full 90 minutes. However, the Zerofivers were able to taste victory in their final away game of the season in Berlin. A win would have been enough for Hertha to secure safety, something FSV had already achieved. Goals from Silvan Widmer and Stefan Bell were enough to secure a 2-1 win, the team’s first on the road in over six months!

05 – Saying goodbye to a club legend

The final matchday of the season was a time for several farewells in Mainz. In addition to Jean-Paul Boëtius, Kevin Stöger and Jeremiah St. Juste, the club also said an emotional goodbye to Daniel Brosinski. After eight years in red and white, in which he made 223 competitive appearances, scoring 12 goals and assisting a further 32, it was time to say farewell. Brosi had experienced a lot at the club since joining from Greuther Fürth in 2014. It will be difficult to imagine what the club will be like without him. However, the 33-year-old was ready to draw the curtains on his time in Mainz, saying that he was leaving with “two smiling eyes,” as he put it. “I have learned a lot, especially that you should never give up and that hard work will always be rewarded. A big THANK YOU to everyone, I couldn’t have dreamed of a better goodbye,” he said after his final game for the club.

At the end of the season, 1. FSV Mainz 05 can be proud of their solid return: eighth place, 46 points, 50 goals scored and 45 conceded. However, the story of last season goes far beyond the numbers in the table. We have chosen 05 memorable moments from 2021/22 that are worth looking back on one more time.

01 – Niklas Tauer’s slide tackle

Niklas Tauer’s slide tackle on the opening day against Leipzig was a real work of art. The Mainz academy product wasn’t only able to prevent a goal, but also exemplified the fighting spirit the Zerofivers brought to the pitch that day. Mainz were without several regular starters due to a Coronavirus outbreak, and were forced to name a bench consisting almost entirely of academy players and Luca Kilian. A total of 10,500 home fans were on hand to cheer their team on to a 1-0 win. “To pick up a result like that is fantastic, but the way in which we played as a team was the best part of it for me,” Bo Svensson said afterwards. Tauer’s slide-tackle to deny Christopher Nkunku from almost certainly scoring was representative of the spirit that would go on to define much of the season to come.

02 – Party time in Mainz!

Marcus Ingvartsen is usually very cool, calm and collected. Nothing exemplified this more than when he showcased his quick feet to roll the ball past a tangle of Leverkusen defenders to put Mainz 3-2 up to set off a wave of Karneval-fueled ecstasy amongst the costumed fans in the MEWA ARENA. The Zerofivers had plenty to celebrate at home this season, with wins against Wolfsburg, Hertha and Bayern to name just a few. FSV picked up 35 of their 46 points in 2021/22 on their own patch, feeding off the support from the home fans, who were finally able to return in full force after pandemic-related capacity limits were loosened.

03 – Three penalties in 14 minutes

Mainz know how to take penalties. Since 2013, when Ádám Szalai had a spot-kick saved by then Nürnberg goalkeeper Raphael Schäfer, the Zerofivers have scored every penalty they have attempted in the Bundesliga. After being awarded just one penalty in the first 27 matchdays this season, Mainz won three penalties at home against Arminia Bielefeld. Captain Moussa Niakhaté, Jonny Burkardt and Marcus Ingvartsen all scored from the spot in the space of just 14 minutes. Never before in Bundesliga history had three different players scored a penalty for the same team in a single game. The match got off on the right foot, with the club announcing goalkeeper Robin Zentner had extended his contract ahead of kick-off. “Three points are always nice, but the atmosphere is even more important and is what I associate with the club, and it’s what we need to stand for,” Svensson said.

04 – Finally an away win!

In contrast to their strong form at home, Mainz struggled to replicate this success on the road this season. FSV picked up just three away wins in 2021/22, suffering 12 defeats away from home. Even when the team played well, they lacked the ability to see the result through over the course of a full 90 minutes. However, the Zerofivers were able to taste victory in their final away game of the season in Berlin. A win would have been enough for Hertha to secure safety, something FSV had already achieved. Goals from Silvan Widmer and Stefan Bell were enough to secure a 2-1 win, the team’s first on the road in over six months!

05 – Saying goodbye to a club legend

The final matchday of the season was a time for several farewells in Mainz. In addition to Jean-Paul Boëtius, Kevin Stöger and Jeremiah St. Juste, the club also said an emotional goodbye to Daniel Brosinski. After eight years in red and white, in which he made 223 competitive appearances, scoring 12 goals and assisting a further 32, it was time to say farewell. Brosi had experienced a lot at the club since joining from Greuther Fürth in 2014. It will be difficult to imagine what the club will be like without him. However, the 33-year-old was ready to draw the curtains on his time in Mainz, saying that he was leaving with “two smiling eyes,” as he put it. “I have learned a lot, especially that you should never give up and that hard work will always be rewarded. A big THANK YOU to everyone, I couldn’t have dreamed of a better goodbye,” he said after his final game for the club.