“Symbolic of the situation we’re in right now”

Mainz 05 0-1 gladbach

Niko Bungert: “It’s certainly sobering, and the two own goals are just symbolic of the situation we’re in right now. We’re playing like a side that’s stuck at the bottom of the table because we’re not taking our chances up front. Benni was brave today and brought his own ideas in. The team had a plan and were confident. Not everything will just magically fall into place, though. We also have a problem defending set pieces, which we’ll have to work on. The new coach should ideally give us some stability until Christmas and hopefully pick up some points along the way. Ideally, things will start on Monday. It’s been a difficult week for everyone. Our relationship with Bo was, and still is, very close. We wanted to make it work together because we know he’s a great coach and a great person. It was a loss for everyone involved and has really taken its toll on us.”

Daniel Batz: “I was surprised when I found out that I’d be playing. Defensively, we didn’t allow much today, although we had problems with set pieces. Considering our situation, we put in a brave performance. The goal we conceded speaks volumes - you only concede a goal like that when you’re on a bad run of form. Up front we had too few clear chances, and that’s something we need to work on. For me personally, it was nice to be back out on the pitch despite everything that’s gone on. I showed that I have the level required. Of course, I still would’ve preferred the three points. The week was difficult and emotional because Bo gave so much to the whole club and the city. Still, it was a nice farewell, if you can call it that.”