Caci: “I’ve learned a lot about myself and my body”

The long wait is over: after around seven months out injured, Anthony Caci is back and once again available for the 05ers. A first brief appearance against SC Freiburg was followed just a few days later by a very special occasion for the Frenchman: in the second leg of the Conference League quarter-final at Racing Strasbourg, the defender came on in the 72nd minute and faced his former club, where he was under contract between 2016 and 2022. Hardly an ordinary evening for the 28-year-old – not least because Mainz 05 exited the competition that night following a painful 4-0 defeat. “Of course, it was a strange feeling. It was nice to be back on the pitch against my former club, but at the same time, I was a bit nervous because I really wanted to reach the semi-finals with Mainz 05. All in all, it was a very special evening for me,” said Caci, who had not featured on the European stage since the qualifying matches home and away against Trondheim.

“Many fans were asking when I’d be back”

As a regular starter last season, the Frenchman born in France played a key role in qualifying for European competition – making his long spell on the sidelines all the more frustrating. “It was very, very difficult for me not being able to help the lads during that time. I was often sat in the stands during our games, and a lot of fans kept asking when I’d be back. That wasn’t always easy to explain, because I wanted to be back on the pitch as quickly as possible, but my body had other ideas. It was hard to give any clear timelines, and even when there were predictions, they often turned out to be wrong,” explained the defender, who remains optimistic about the future: “That’s all behind me now, and I’m looking forward.”

After suffering the injury in the 4-1 win in Augsburg, Caci had to deal with several setbacks. “I spent around three months in rehab working towards my return – that was fine at first, but the complexity of the injury meant further measures had to be taken. The goal of coming back before Christmas quickly moved out of reach. In fact, the whole process ended up being extended by another three months – that was hard to accept, and I often asked myself why it happened, without finding an answer. Still, I learned a lot about myself and my body during that time,” the 28-year-old reflected.

“Plan A and Plan B” with Urs Fischer

While the defender was working his way back to fitness, a lot changed at the club: Urs Fischer succeeded Bo Henriksen as head coach of the 05s last December. Caci has not yet trained extensively under Fischer compared to his teammates, but he can already identify differences between the Swiss coach and his predecessor. “It’s definitely different. Urs has his own tactical ideas that he gives us, and he’s a bit more stoic than Bo. We always come up with a Plan A and Plan B for matches with him, and since he’s come to Mainz, he’s done very well. I feel completely comfortable with Urs as a coach,” said the defender. 

Last Sunday, Fischer rewarded Caci with a place in the starting XI for the first time since his return – and the Frenchman ended up playing longer than expected. “I was surprised, because I actually thought I’d only play a half. In the end, it was 75 minutes,” said the Mainz player after the draw in Mönchengladbach. “After seven months out, it’s not easy to fully switch on again, and I hadn’t trained much under Urs before that. But on matchday, that doesn’t matter – you have to be ready. It worked well for me in Mönchengladbach, and now I have to build on that.”

“We need points to give ourselves more security”

Next up is a real test on Saturday (15:30 CEST), as Bayern München – recently confirmed as German champions – visit the MEWA ARENA. “We have to invest a lot – then we’ve got a good chance of picking up points against Bayern. Every duel will matter, and it will come down to showing what we can do,” said Caci. The anticipation for the home fixture is huge: “We’re really up for it, and we’re playing at home. For survival, we need points to give ourselves more security. Of course, Bayern have a very strong team, but that doesn’t change anything for us. We’ll give everything and then see what happens.”