“We need to perform at our absolute maximum”

It’s been two busy weeks for the 05ers, and just 16 hours after he left the MEWA ARENA following his side’s 2-0 win over SK Sigma Olomouc, head coach Urs Fischer was back for his press conference ahead of the visit of Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday (15:30 CET). Recent results have the 05ers feeling confident heading into the game, as they aim to put Frankfurt’s run of ten points from their last five games under new head coach Albert Riera to an end. Sunday’s game will also be Jonny Burkardt’s first time back at the MEWA ARENA since leaving Mainz in the summer. “We’re going up against a real quality side on Sunday, and we need to perform at our absolute maximum,” said Fischer two days before the game.

Urs Fischer on...

…his evening after Thursday’s game: “I had to wait a while for my post-match press conference, so it got pretty late. I went from the stadium to Bruchweg to do some analysis, then got home at about midnight and went straight to sleep. Not for long, though.”

…a potential Conference League final in Leipzig: “The next match is what matters – not what might happen in two months’ time. The boys are clear on that as well. We want to give it everything on Sunday before the international break. We’ve got two and a half days to recover. This team has character and knows exactly what the priorities are.”

…Armindo Sieb: “He showed exactly what I wanted to see from him yesterday. He chased everything, worked hard for the team and got his goal. It wasn’t an easy finish. Armindo has quality, but he also knows the areas in which he needs to improve.”

…Eintracht Frankfurt: “If you look at the form table over the last five matches, they’ve taken ten points. Under the new coach, Frankfurt have slightly adjusted their system, and I do think they look more defensively stable. They want to have possession and to play forwards. They’re very precise in their passing under pressure and have a strong counter-press. On top of that, they have pace, especially out wide. We’re going up against a real quality side on Sunday, and we need to perform at our absolute maximum.”

…his team’s current situation: “Wins do you good. That sense of confidence and belief carries forwards. We do also have to move on from Thursday and get into the mindset of focusing on our day-to-day business in the Bundesliga. Still, we’re heading into the game with confidence, which we’ll need.”

…Jonny Burkardt: “He doesn’t need many chances – he can create a lot out of very little. I haven’t coached him myself, but I know he has a lot of technical ability and played a key role in getting Mainz to Europe. He has that natural instinct, which you can’t defend against as an individual. It will require a team effort.”