Making best use of the time in Spain

Despite winning 5-1 in yesterday’s friendly against FC Luzern, the game left head coach Bo Svensson feeling like there is still “room for improvement” ahead of the Zerofivers’ return to Bundesliga action in Stuttgart later this month. “We need every minute, every day, in order to get there,” he said. When looking back on the week-long training camp in Spain, both Svensson and sporting director Christian Heidel were left feeling positive about what they had seen.

The club chose to only play one friendly while at training camp in Marbella, in order to focus on intense training sessions instead. With the exception of Delano Burgzorg, who picked up a knock against Luzern, the team is returning home with no injuries to report. Jonny Burkardt was the only player to not travel to camp, having remained in Germany to continue his rehab. Karim Onisiwo, Stefan Bell, Maxim Leitsch and Anton Stach were all able to make good progress in Marbella. “It was important to find the right balance between having a high intensity but also not causing any injuries to the players. We managed to do that,” said Svensson, who was extremely pleased to welcome Leitsch back to the fold. The centre-back was able to play 15 minutes against Luzern and was able to take part in more training sessions than previously planned. “He brings a lot to the table and I continue to have full confidence in him. He’s doing well,” said the head coach.

Heidel, meanwhile, was also pleased with the team. “What the coach has to say is always important to me, and I didn’t hear a single word of criticism from him,” he said, praising the quality of the location of the training camp in Marbella, the efforts of the team and the mix of youth and experience in the squad. “The young players did a great job. It’s a real luxury to have them,” said Svensson about Brajan Gruda, Lovis Bierschenk, Lucas Laux, Lasse Wilhelm, David Mamutovic, Timothé Rupil and Tristan Mohn. He was pleased with how they performed in the game against Luzern, saying “It’s no coincidence, but instead goes to show that our U23s and U19s are doing a great job.”

No new signings, but no cause to worry

Heidel is also aware of the quality of players within the Mainz academy, which also has an influence on the club’s transfer window activities. “When we are considering a player, then we always discuss what it might mean for our academy players. We need to make sure that they are given a chance,” he explained.

With the transfer window open until the end of the month, the sporting director could often be seen on his phone during the week in Marbella. Both Heidel and Svensson have made no secret of the fact that the club would like to bring in a centre-back, while strengthening the attack has also been under discussion. The club are yet to announce any new signings, but aren’t feeling any pressure to do so. “Everything we do here is done unanimously between Bo, Martin and myself. The decision to not sign any players so far is one that all three of us have made together. We all fully support the philosophy of having a small squad. We knew going into it that we might have some issues when two or three players are injured. But, we also see many positives to it, and not only from a business perspective. That includes having a strong team spirit and that everyone has a chance to play,” he said.

“Preparations have been optimal so far”

This team spirit has been clear to see on and off the pitch in Marbella. “We are more than a football team. That’s the glue that holds us together,” Svensson said about the mood within the squad. “Preparations have been optimal so far,” added Heidel. Whether the week in Spain was successful will remain to be seen later this month, when the Zerofivers travel to take on VfB Stuttgart. A well-run training camp does not automatically guarantee success in the league and DFB-Pokal. “We worked hard, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us,” said Svensson.