05ers begin the year in Berlin: “Take the next step”

The fight for Bundesliga survival in 2026 continues for the 05ers on Saturday (15:30 CET) in Berlin – more precisely at Stadion An der Alten Försterei, away to 1. FC Union, with loud backing from the stands. All 2,400 tickets for the away end have already sold out. Fischer was in charge at Union for five and a half years, guiding the club from the second division all the way to Europe. For the Swiss coach, it’s a special return, but one he is determined to approach without nostalgia. “I’m fully focused on my task,” he said at Thursday’s press conference. “This is about football, not about how long I was head coach at Union Berlin. That’s something I have to manage.”

Union, coached by Steffen Baumgart, sit eighth in the table after 15 matchdays and already have 21 points on the board, 13 more than FSV. What is clear, though, is that Mainz, bottom of the table, are desperate to add to their points tally in the first game of the year. Since returning to training on 2nd January, the team has been through what Fischer described as “a short but intensive period. The team really bought into it,” he explained. “Now I hope we can take the next step on Saturday afternoon in Berlin.” One possible starter is new signing Phillip Tietz, who has settled in quickly. The other attacking arrival, Silas, is unavailable due to illness, as are several other potential regulars.

Urs Fischer spoke at the press conference about…

…the squad: “Andreas Hanche-Olsen is still a doubt. He’s being examined, and at this point I can’t say any more. Robin Zentner and Phillipp Mwene are still doing their rehab work and are on the way back. They’re making progress, as is Maxim Leitsch. Silas is still ill, and Anthony Caci is still working his way back too.”

…the team’s current level after a week of training: “Things have looked good so far. We’ve had a short but intensive period. We wanted to take a step forward in the basics and in our principles, and the team bought into that very well. Now I hope we can take the next step on Saturday afternoon in Berlin.”

…opponents Union Berlin: “Union have a clear structure and are organised. They play as a real unit and are solid defensively. Being strong from counter-attacks is part of the team and club's DNA – they have players with pace for that. Especially after winning the ball in defence or midfield, they get into the final third and in behind the lines very quickly. They play a lot of long balls into the half-spaces. 40% of their goals have come from set pieces, so that’s something we need to keep an eye on and avoid giving away too many free-kicks and corners.”

…his first impressions of new signing Phillip Tietz: “Very good! He’s integrated really quickly, contributes a lot through his communication and open manner. He's looking really good in training too. He's quickly learned the principles of our play and is a candidate for the starting XI.”

…the current squad: “You can’t just get what you wish for in football. I don’t think snap decisions help either, you have to proceed carefully and thoughtfully. We’re pleased that Tietz and Silas have both chosen to join Mainz. It’s a shame that Silas is currently out through illness. We’re happy he’s here and hope he can get back into training as soon as possible.”

…Silas’ attributes: “He has incredible pace and likes to take the direct route towards goal. He enjoys taking players on and actively looks to do so. If he has space, he’s very difficult to defend. He knows where the goal is, but also has an eye for his teammates. With him, we’ve added another option to the squad, and I’m very pleased about that.”

…his return to his former club and whether his experience as Union coach will help: “It would be nice if it did – I’d certainly like to take the three points back to Mainz. I think I need to block out the nostalgia a little. Of course I’m coming back to a place where I worked for five and a half years, and it’s only natural that that affects you. But for those 90 or 95 minutes, it’s purely about football. I’m fully focused on my task. This is about football, not about how long I was head coach at Union Berlin. That’s something I have to manage.”

…the weather in Germany: “We’re preparing for the game as normal and are, of course, aware of the situation. We can’t influence the weather. What we can influence is our preparation.”