“No intention of easing off in these final two fixtures”

There was great jubilation and relief among the Mainz fans last weekend: thanks to their 2-1 away win at FC St. Pauli, FSV secured their place in the league with two matchdays to spare. The 05ers will now play their final home game of the season against Union Berlin on Sunday (19:30 CEST). Head coach Urs Fischer will come up his former club for just the second time since the reverse fixture in January, having been at the helm of the Berliners from 2018 to 2023.

Fischer is naturally delighted that both clubs have recently secured their places in the league, but added: “We’re facing Union at home and want to win, as there are still points up for grabs.” It’s about time that FSV manage to beat Union, with none of the last nine Bundesliga encounters having ended in victory for the 05ers (D4, L5). Their last victory against the Köpenick side came more than five years ago in February 2021 – so it’s high time for a repeat.

HEAD COACH Urs Fischer ON...

…both Mainz and Union Berlin securing safety on the last matchday: “First and foremost, I'm glad that we've secured safety now. Understandably, I still feel a connection to Union Berlin, and so I'm happy to see that they'll still be in the top flight next year. I didn’t exchange any in-depth messages with with club last weekend, but I did receive a few ‘thumb’s up’ texts, which I think is fair.” 

…the celebrations after the game: “It was relaxed and enjoyable. The restaurants where we were then started to shut at a set time, which is why we ended up having to head home. I think it is absolutely the right thing to go out and celebrate a bit after a game like, and especially after having secured safety.” 

…Sheraldo Becker’s contract extension: “Maybe I managed to have a bit of an influence on him, because he already knew beforehand how I operate as a coach. Sheraldo also knows, however, how the Bundesliga works and he didn’t have an easy over in Spain. I think it was good for him to pursue something different after that and that, in doing so, he knew what to expect. At the same time, Sheraldo hasn’t had anything handed to him – in the end, the performances are what matter most for every single player.” 

…the final two matchdays of the season: “We’re facing Union at home and want to win, as there are still points up for grabs. Even if we've managed to avoid the drop, though, I've no intention of easing off in these final two fixtures. There are six points to be won before the end of the season, and that's what I intend to do."

…Union’s change of coach: “In my opinion, there have been certain changes in Union’s style of play, but it’s difficult to have much of an impact in such a short amount of time. I think that Marie-Louise Eta is focused on making minor adjustments and I’m pleased that she and the team have managed to stay up. It’s great to see the club place their trust in her – the comments some people were making on social media were entirely uncalled for.” 

…the game on Sunday: “It’s not easy to defend against them, especially when it comes to winning those second balls. They have a lot of pace in their attack, which can be particularly dangerous on the break. We also can’t give away too many set pieces, because FCU have scored a lot of goals in this manner. There will be several things we need to keep an eye on, while also managing to play our game.”