Paul Nebel’s back – and ready to play

12 months in the fast lane – that could well be the title of a documentary on Paul Nebel’s 2024/25 season. After two formative, successful years on loan at Karlsruher SC, the Mainz academy graduate returned to his parent club last summer. With a new contract running through to 2027, the attacking midfielder was determined to make his mark in the Bundesliga – and, after a few months, he did exactly that. In the autumn, Nebel earned a starting spot in the Mainz front line, became a key player, and quickly grew into a figure the fans could identify with on the club’s road to Europe. He got his first taste of continental football even before his teammates, playing a starring role at the U21 European Championship in June alongside Nelson Weiper. Now, following a three-week holiday, he’s ready to go again, aiming to kick on and “just get back out there and play,” as he put it in Thursday afternoon’s media round.

Rested, recharged and proud of a runners-up medal

The fact that his summer break was shorter than most of the squad – now together in Austria for their week-long training camp – didn’t bother Nebel in the slightest. He joined the Mainz academy in 2016 and made his Bundesliga debut at 17. “Of course, it’s good to switch off for a few days after a long season and take your mind off football. That definitely helped and was more than enough to recharge my batteries,” he said. He also admitted that his desire to get back on the ball returned fairly quickly while on holiday. “It doesn’t take long before you just want to go out and play again,” said the FSV midfielder.

Nebel took some time to process the disappointment of Germany’s extra-time defeat to England in the final of the U21 EUROs, but he’s now able to look back on it all positively. “It was a great tournament and I’m proud of what we achieved,” he commented. His and Weiper’s performances didn’t go unnoticed in Mainz either – the pair grew into the competition and left a real mark on the tournament.

Competition a welcome challenge

Now back at Bruchweg, Nebel returns not as an outsider trying to break through – as he was a year ago – but as an established figure, albeit still just 22. He’s full of confidence and knows he can make an impact against any opponent. He doesn’t feel like he’s playing catch-up either, even after a short break: “I feel really, really good and fully fit. I’m just looking forward to getting stuck in again – and of course, enjoying it with the team.” As for new competition in the squad? He sees it purely as a positive – and namechecked Benedict Hollerbach and Sota Kawasaki as welcome additions. “A fight for places is totally normal at this level – and it’s a good thing, because it keeps you on your toes. It helps you maintain your level – or raise it – when someone behind you is pushing just as hard and wants to play as much as you do.” Then there’s the potential for European football on top of the league and cup. Mainz will need to come through a two-legged play-off on 21st and 28th August to reach the Conference League group stage. “Hopefully we’ll have a lot more matches this season – and the more games there are, the more options you need. You simply can’t go a full season without rotating.”

Whether the self-confessed playmaker – who wears his love for the game on his sleeve – will ever volunteer for a rest, or need persuading from Bo Henriksen, remains to be seen. One thing’s certain: Nebel will keep working hard and pushing to improve. After a season in which he scored 10 goals and provided six assists in the Bundesliga, he doesn’t feel he’s reached his ceiling just yet. “I definitely believe I’ve still got more potential and that I can take more steps. It’s hard to say what that’ll look like exactly – that develops over the course of a season, through matches and training.”