“It will be a fantastic experience”

Three days after the final matchday of the Bundesliga season, where a 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen sealed 1. FSV Mainz 05’s place in the 2025/26 Conference League for the first time, the memories of that day are still fresh in the mind of everyone at the club. The celebrations after the game, as well as the atmosphere during the match, were fondly looked back on by the club’s management. 

“That was a crazy day,” Bo Henriksen said on Monday during a press conference at the Bruchweg, where he was joined by board member for sport Christian Heidel and sporting director Niko Bungert. The first half against Leverkusen was the best opening half to a game that he’s ever seen a team play during the course of his coaching career, Henriksen said. “I’m very proud of the lads and the entire club. We played a great season,” the Dane said, who thoroughly enjoyed the post-game celebrations. 

“We’re on a good path”

In saying so, Henriksen wasn’t only referring to FSV’s results and final position in the table, but rather the unique “style and fashion in which we play football.” The 05ers haven’t just displayed an intense style of play under Henriksen, but have also been able to develop in other areas that haven’t typically counted amongst Mainz’s strengths. This season, the 05ers averaged 49% possession, the sixth-most in the league. “We’re not a team that only plays long balls; we also want to have the ball in the spaces in between. We’re on a good path,” the coach said about the team’s development. 

As a result of this positive development, the 05ers have now managed to qualify for European competition for the first time since 2016. In between the opening round of the DFB-Pokal and the first weekend of Bundesliga football at the end of August, the team will also take part in the Conference League play-offs on 21st and 28th August (opponent TBC). FSV will be battling for a spot in the league phase of the competition. “We need to prepare well for it as it will require a lot of energy. Hopefully the atmosphere within the city will match what it was on Saturday. It will be a fantastic experience for all everyone, not just the team, but for everyone at the club and the fans as well,” he said.

“Something special for the city and the region”

Heidel has no doubt that the team’s current level of support will only increase, as the fans are also looking forward to European nights at the MEWA ARENA and abroad. “Mainz 05 are playing in Europe. That’s something special for the city and the region. If it wasn't, we wouldn’t have celebrated it the way we did. We’re looking forward to it and hope that we make it through the play-off round,” Heidel said. 

"Zero pressure" to make any transfers

The 05ers aren’t worried about the increased workload that comes with taking part in multiple competitions, with Henriksen calling his current squad “fantastic.” The Dane added, “I’m not worried at all,” when asked about the potential need for summer transfers. Heidel also commented, “When Mainz 05 finish sixth, then it’s a sign that you didn’t do anything wrong.” He added that FSV are under “zero pressure” when it comes to making transfers. “We don’t have to sell any players due to financial pressures. The best thing would be to get to play another season with the same squad, because they’ve deserved it,” said Heidel. “We have a lot of lads that are chomping at the bit to now be able to show what they’re capable of,” added Bungert. The sporting director was still playing for Mainz 05 when the club last qualified for Europe and knows what this chance represents. “Some of the players in our squad who have found themselves just outside the starting line-up, which did a great job every weekend, will definitely now have more opportunities to showcase themselves. We can now look forward to something special.” 

The club aren’t intending to increase the size of their current squad by much. “We’re talking about maybe adding one or two players,” Bungert said. Additionally, there will be players returning to Mainz following their loan spells, as well as academy players who may be able to break into the squad during pre-season. “Our squad is well-structured at the moment and we’re now waiting to see what happens on the transfer market,” Bungert said.