Hanche-Olsen: No reason we should settle

Since joining 1. FSV Mainz 05 in January, Andreas Hanche-Olsen has featured eight times for his new club, playing the full 90 minutes on seven occasions. The Norwegian is already a mainstay in the Zerofivers’ defence, only missing the final half hour or so of the 4-0 home win over Borussia Mönchengladbach due to injury. The 26-year-old has played a significant part in helping add to Mainz’s defensive stability in 2023, which has also been helped by the fact that Stefan Bell, Edimilson Fernandes and Hanche-Olsen have started alongside each other in each of the last six Bundesliga games. That new-found consistency is paying off. After all, FSV hace collected 15 points from those six matches, helping them solidify their position in the top half of the table.

In his very first interview with www.mainz05.de, the Norwegian takes a look back at his first weeks on the Rhine since leaving Belgium.

Andreas, you’ve almost been at Mainz for two months now. How have you settled in?

“I’m really happy with how everything has gone so far, how the club, the fans and the city have welcomed me. My girlfriend and I are almost finished furnishing our apartment. Mainz is already feeling a lot like home for me. I already sensed that when I signed, that this is a place where I will have a lot of fun. That’s certainly been the case so far. My brothers and my mother have already visited me, and they like it here too.”

Have you managed to find time to keep up with your golf?

“Not yet, unfortunately. I would love to get out again, but it’s been a hectic start with training, games, moving into my flat and all the paperwork you have to deal with when you move.”

Let’s look at the sporting side of things. What do you think are the reasons behind the recent success?

“The main reason things are going so well lately is the team spirit, which you can feel everywhere. The atmosphere around the club is good, from the staff and the management to the players. Things are just going well at the moment; it feels like we’re all pulling in the same direction in terms of the intensity and the energy that everyone is producing on the pitch.”

It’s great to see how we have moved our way up in recent weeks.

How does it feel looking at the Bundesliga table?

“To be honest, it feels really good at the moment. It’s great to see how we have moved our way up in recent weeks, but I believe that we can improve even more. There’s no reason we should settle and slow down. We’re on a good path and we want to achieve something.”

Tough tackler – the January signing in a challenge with Hoffenheim’s Christoph Baumgartner

Since you arrived, the team has had far more consistency. How much of the success is down to the fact that there’s less rotation necessary, particularly in defence?

“Playing regularly with the same line-up helps that you build a connection with the players playing next to you or in front of you. It provides stability. Nonetheless, the last few games have shown just how important the lads on the bench are. They came on with fresh legs and a clear mind, and were ready to help the team as soon as they stepped on the pitch. That was one of the keys to our run of four straight wins.”

What do you think of the back-five?

“The system with three centre-backs offers defensive stability. With the way we play, you need players who can do a lot of running, and we have that. That’s why I think that the system suits us well. We have the capacity to transition well from defence to attack, and the other way around. That’s especially important with a back-five. It doesn’t make much of a difference to me personally whether I play in a back-four or a back-give, but I quite like my position as the right centre-back in a back-five.”

Stefan Bellrecently praised your consistent performances and said that the tactical details are becoming more and more second nature to you. Does it feel that way for you?

“Absolutely. It takes a little time for you to adjust, and I’m pleased that I’ve been able to play so many games in succession. That gives you the chance to get to know the team properly and find out how things work. With every game, I learn something more about how I can help the team and best implement the coach’s ideas.”

I noticed immediately that it was a good group of lads

How were your teammates able to help you settle in?

“They were very helpful right from the beginning, both on and off the pitch. I noticed immediately that I noticed immediately that it was a good group of lads that I was joining. Because of that, I felt welcome right from the first moment.”

When you first moved, you spoke about the fact that the intensity in the Bundesliga will be something different from that in Belgium. How do you judge it after your first few games?

“I can say that I was right to say that. The intensity in Germany is already special, especially also in terms of fan culture. To play in front of a full stadium almost every week is very nice and something that really helps us. It is fun to measure up against the best players in the world and I think with the team that we have, with our quality and mentality, it will continue to be fun in the future. We know that we could beat anyone if everyone gives their all.”

You’ve already spokenabout the atmosphere. What makes it stand out to you?

“The atmosphere in German stadiums is very different from the atmosphere in Norwegian or Belgian stadiums. The fans are involved in a completely different way; they are very committed. It is really inspiring to play in front of a crowd that helps you so much. If it is going against us, they are there to help us. If it is going well, they give us additional self-belief, so the fans are massively important for us.”

It is really inspiring to play in front of a crowd that helps you so much

It is presumably especially nice to celebrate homewins with the fans…

“Definitely. The scenes after a home win with lots of positive emotional felt really special for me. I hope that we will be able to celebrate many more home wins together with the fans this season.”

The Zerofivers and Hanche-Olsen have recently had plenty of reasons to celebrate. The hope is to now continue this winning streak against Hertha BSC.

After the Hoffenheim game, the head coach publically praised you, suggesting it feels like you’ve been here a long time. You are “a grenade on and off the pitch”. It is good to hear something like that?

“It is nice when the coach values your performances. I think that one of my qualities is putting the team first, because you can only be successful individually if the team also is. In this team, it seems that everyone thinks this way, which is one of the reasons why it is going so well recently.”

What are the aims for the next few weeks?

“First of all, the game in Berlin on Saturday is our focus. We want to get three points there, play our game and bring our identity, our pressing and intensity, to the pitch. Then we have the players up front to be able to decide the game in our favour.”

Everyone believes that we can pick up the three points there.

What will it come down to against Hertha BSC?

“We have to concentrate on what we can influence, that’s how we’re going to approach the game. We want to play with a lot of energy and pressing well, like we have in the last few games. Everyone believes that we can pick up the three points there. But we also know that it will be difficult because they will fight for their lives and throw everything into getting into a better position in the table.”

How does it feel looking at the Bundesliga table?

“To be honest, it feels really good at the moment. It’s great to see how we have moved our way up in recent weeks, but I believe that we can improve even more. There’s no reason we should settle and slow down. We’re on a good path and we want to achieve something.”

Since you arrived, the team has had far more consistency. How much of the success is down to the fact that there’s less rotation necessary, particularly in defence?

“Playing regularly with the same line-up helps that you build a connection with the players playing next to you or in front of you. It provides stability. Nonetheless, the last few games have shown just how important the lads on the bench are. They came on with fresh legs and a clear mind, and were ready to help the team as soon as they stepped on the pitch. That was one of the keys to our run of four straight wins.”

What do you think of the back-five?

“The system with three centre-backs offers defensive stability. With the way we play, you need players who can do a lot of running, and we have that. That’s why I think that the system suits us well. We have the capacity to transition well from defence to attack, and the other way around. That’s especially important with a back-five. It doesn’t make much of a difference to me personally whether I play in a back-four or a back-give, but I quite like my position as the right centre-back in a back-five.”

Stefan Bellrecently praised your consistent performances and said that the tactical details are becoming more and more second nature to you. Does it feel that way for you?

“Absolutely. It takes a little time for you to adjust, and I’m pleased that I’ve been able to play so many games in succession. That gives you the chance to get to know the team properly and find out how things work. With every game, I learn something more about how I can help the team and best implement the coach’s ideas.”

I noticed immediately that it was a good group of lads

How were your teammates able to help you settle in?

“They were very helpful right from the beginning, both on and off the pitch. I noticed immediately that I noticed immediately that it was a good group of lads that I was joining. Because of that, I felt welcome right from the first moment.”

When you first moved, you spoke about the fact that the intensity in the Bundesliga will be something different from that in Belgium. How do you judge it after your first few games?

“I can say that I was right to say that. The intensity in Germany is already special, especially also in terms of fan culture. To play in front of a full stadium almost every week is very nice and something that really helps us. It is fun to measure up against the best players in the world and I think with the team that we have, with our quality and mentality, it will continue to be fun in the future. We know that we could beat anyone if everyone gives their all.”

You’ve already spokenabout the atmosphere. What makes it stand out to you?

“The atmosphere in German stadiums is very different from the atmosphere in Norwegian or Belgian stadiums. The fans are involved in a completely different way; they are very committed. It is really inspiring to play in front of a crowd that helps you so much. If it is going against us, they are there to help us. If it is going well, they give us additional self-belief, so the fans are massively important for us.”

It is really inspiring to play in front of a crowd that helps you so much

It is presumably especially nice to celebrate homewins with the fans…

“Definitely. The scenes after a home win with lots of positive emotional felt really special for me. I hope that we will be able to celebrate many more home wins together with the fans this season.”

After the Hoffenheim game, the head coach publically praised you, suggesting it feels like you’ve been here a long time. You are “a grenade on and off the pitch”. It is good to hear something like that?

“It is nice when the coach values your performances. I think that one of my qualities is putting the team first, because you can only be successful individually if the team also is. In this team, it seems that everyone thinks this way, which is one of the reasons why it is going so well recently.”

What are the aims for the next few weeks?

“First of all, the game in Berlin on Saturday is our focus. We want to get three points there, play our game and bring our identity, our pressing and intensity, to the pitch. Then we have the players up front to be able to decide the game in our favour.”

Everyone believes that we can pick up the three points there.

What will it come down to against Hertha BSC?

“We have to concentrate on what we can influence, that’s how we’re going to approach the game. We want to play with a lot of energy and pressing well, like we have in the last few games. Everyone believes that we can pick up the three points there. But we also know that it will be difficult because they will fight for their lives and throw everything into getting into a better position in the table.”