Martel: “That’s something I have to earn first”

Eric Martel scored twice in his first friendly for FSV last weekend away to TSG Pfeddersheim. It was a successful debut against the amateur side from Worms, with Mainz wearing the 2026/27 home shirt that had been unveiled the day before. But that was not the only reason why the summer signing from Cologne is extremely happy with his move to Bruchweg after just over a week of pre-season training. As he explained during a media round on Thursday afternoon, it was a decision he made with complete conviction.

In this interview, the 24-year-old former captain of the German U21 national team spoke about...

...his first few days in his new footballing home: “From the very first moment, I had a great feeling. The lads are fantastic and it’s a lot of fun training with them. On top of that, I’m lucky to have found a flat now. Having a place of your own is important. I also already know Paul and Nelly very well from the U21s, which makes it even easier for me to settle in.”

...his reasons for joining on a free transfer: “Mainz made a real effort to sign me over a longer period of time. On top of that, there is the style of football they want to play. That fits my understanding of the game, so it became clear quite quickly that this was exactly the path I wanted to take. I considered a lot of things over the past few months, but this is a really good step for me. And once I have decided on something, I commit to it completely.”

...the advantages compared to his former club: “Mainz have clearly been more successful on the pitch in recent years. That was decisive for me. When you see how long the club has now been playing continuously in the Bundesliga, there is a lot to be said for FSV.”

...short-term goals and leadership ambitions: “First of all, I want to settle in and get to know everyone and everything properly. In my position on the pitch, I have to be vocal anyway, and I’m the kind of player who wants to lead the way. That will come naturally. The important thing now is simply to integrate well. Of course, everyone wants to play in the end. But I still have to earn that and deliver my performances day in, day out in training and in matches.”

...his strengths: “I always give everything and give 100 percent. I’m strong in the air both defensively and offensively, and I can play at a high intensity. From my point of view, that means I can already give a lot to the team.”

...training under Urs Fischer: “The training sessions are very intensive, and we work on a lot of patterns. That is an advantage for me because it helps me quickly find my way into the system and understand it. The patterns are generally more clearly defined than in Cologne. They are trained every day, so everyone knows exactly what is expected of them in their position on the pitch.”