Alexander Schwolow becomes a Mainz player

Mainz 05 have secured the services of Alexander Schwolow. The 34-year-old goalkeeper joins the club from Scottish runners-up Heart of Midlothian. The 1.90m goalkeeper, who was born in Wiesbaden, brings experience from more than 200 Bundesliga matches, as well as numerous appearances in the 2. Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and the Scottish Premiership. Mainz 05 and Heart of Midlothian have agreed that Schwolow can still feature in Hearts’ two upcoming UEFA Champions League qualifying matches before joining his new teammates at the ongoing training camp on 30 July.

Mainz 05 sporting director Niko Bungert said: “In Alexander Schwolow, we have got exactly the goalkeeper profile we were looking for. He is the right character and a real team player. He has just had an outstanding season with Heart of Midlothian, where they only narrowly missed out on winning the Scottish title. Alex knows the Bundesliga inside out from more than 200 Bundesliga appearances, and because he grew up just a few kilometres from Mainz, he will not need any time to settle in.”

Alexander Schwolow said: “Mainz 05 stands for togetherness, passion and a very clear way of playing football. That mentality suits me well. After my exciting time in Scotland, I wanted to take on another new challenge in the Bundesliga, and at Mainz I immediately had the feeling that it was a very good fit, both personally and in sporting terms. The talks with the club’s management were very open, clear and appreciative from the very first moment. They gave me a very good feeling and made it clear what they are planning with the team. I’m also really looking forward to experiencing the fantastic Mainz fans and fighting for every point together with them.”