First team 15.05.2025 - 10:23 Uhr
Kaishu Sano: “I would like to thank everyone for their support”
The Japanese midfielder has impressed in his debut season at Mainz 05, covering the most ground in the whole league. He talks about who has helped him along the way and what has impressed him about the Bundesliga.
Jonny Burkardt, Nadiem Amiri, Robin Zentner and Paul Nebel are all 1. FSV Mainz 05 players that will be hoping to lead the club into Europe on the final matchday against Bayer 04 Leverkusen (15:30 CEST at a sold-out MEWA ARENA). All these guys have played a big part in the club’s success this season and have also earned recognition from supporters up and down the country. They all also represent their country, or, in Zentner’s case, are part of the Bundesliga’s Team of the Season. One player, however, that has flown under the radar somewhat is the 05er to play the most minutes in 2024/25. That man is Kaishu Sano, already a key figure in the central midfield of Bo Henriksen’s team.
The 24-year-old is starting to really make a name for himself at the club having played so many minutes, covered so much ground, won so many tackles and recovered possession as often as he has. Sano has been in the starting XI for all 33 Bundesliga games so far this season, coming off just twice late on. The summer signing really personifies the high-intensity game FSV like to play. He’s covered over 328 kilometres this season, making him the hardest-working player in the Bundesliga. When it comes to intensive runs, he ranks fifth, alongside his teammates Nebel (1st) and Jae-sung Lee (6th). It’s fair to say that he’s formed an excellent partnership in central midfield alongside the in-form Nadiem Amiri.
“Nadiem has helped me a lot”
Amiri, the most creative player in the Mainz side, was also one of the players to try and help the reserved Japanese midfielder when he arrived at the club. “Nadiem has helped me a lot,” said Sano. “I was able to learn a few things from him, I’ve watched him a lot. That helps to constantly improve our partnership.”
Kaishu Sano alongside his head coach Bo Henriksen.
Faith in him from the very start
The start of the season was not a particularly easy time for Sano. He had just moved to a new continent, had new teammates, a different style of play to get used to, was playing in a new league that is played at a higher tempo compared to the J.League and had a language barrier to deal with as well. Although it was a big challenge, and his performances, like the rest of the team, had room for improvement, head coach Bo Henriksen always had faith in him. The Dane worked on helping Sano’s integration together with his interpreter in a number of individual meetings. “Everyone was really helpful,” stressed Sano, who puts his development and overall strong debut season at the Bruchweg down to two things: “Without the confidence placed in me from the coaching team, my teammates and the whole club, this wouldn’t have been possible. I would like to thank everyone for this support.” Sano also works hard to improve his own game every day in training and on his own. “I want to get better with each week and always think about how I can contribute to the team’s success, both in training and matches. That has played a part in my performances getting better and me having a season like I have.”
In July 2024, when the club announced they had signed Sano, not many people knew much about the former Kashima Antlers man. Despite that, he came to Mainz full of confidence. “I knew that I could compete in the Bundesliga and put in good performances. The fact that my debut season has gone so well is solely down to the work I’ve been putting in every day. Nevertheless, I still have plenty of room for improvement and know there are things I need to keep getting better at,” he explained, naming one example: “Running a lot is good but it depends on the quality of the running. I want to make sure I’m covering ground I need to and not just running for the sake of it.” Sano holds himself to high standards and doesn’t want to just contribute to the defensive side of FSV’s game but also show he can play a role in attacks too.
Keep on improving and hopefully qualify for Europe
Sano has fully settled into life in Mainz now. He enjoys living in the city and has discovered a favourite Japanese restaurant, Niko Niko Tei on Gaustraße. One thing that he particularly enjoys is the support of the Mainz fans, and the overall atmosphere in stadiums in the Bundesliga, as well as the high standard of matches. “Every player here has their own strength. I also want to develop one particular skill which then everyone will think about when they hear the name Kaishu Sano.”
His name will also be mentioned as one of the players that helped Mainz 05 qualify for European football this season if they manage to complete the job this weekend. Last Saturday’s 4-1 win in Bochum means that Sano and his teammates have their fate in their own hands going into the final day against Leverkusen. Playing European football would fulfill a personal dream for Sano: “There will be moments where we have to be patient. If we remember that and come through those periods, we will get our chances up front. We all believe that we can play in Europe next season.” Sano will once again give his all in the middle of the park to make that dream a reality.
