Mainz 05 are set to head off on their winter break after Sunday’s game against St. Pauli. Fabio Moreno Fell will use the festive period to catch his breath and look back on all that’s happened in what has been a fairytale year. “It feels like a dream,” said the striker, reflecting on his Bundesliga debut almost two weeks ago against Borussia Mönchengladbach and his first European appearance against Poznań.
“It’ll only start to sink in once I take a break”
“There are sometimes special stories in football,” said Meikel Schönweitz, technical director at Mainz 05, speaking about Moreno Fell’s contract extension earlier this week. “It’s extraordinary to watch a player in the Verbandsliga in the spring and then see him playing in the Bundesliga by the end of the year,” Schönweitz continued. The story begins in Alzey-Worms, where Moreno Fell almost single-handedly fired TSV Gau-Odernheim to promotion to the Oberliga for the first time in the club’s history. He scored 50 goals in the regular season and three more in the promotion play-offs. The Spanish-born striker’s eye for goal did not go unnoticed, as he made the move to Mainz’s U23s to further his development, after having completed his vocational training as a wholesale and export trader. “I wanted to stay in the area and play in the Regionalliga," he explained. “That’s why Mainz was a perfect fit.”
Never give up on the dream
The forward has made the most of his chance in professional football with Mainz 05 so far. It’s not his first time at this level though, having spent brief periods in elite youth academies such as 1. FC Kaiserslautern and FC Ingolstadt, albeit without a big breakthrough. The childhood dream of playing in the Bundesliga never faded, despite his priorities changing. “There was a time when football took a back seat when I was doing my vocational training. At times, I did think about pursuing a professional career and doing what I enjoy.” Moreno Fell never gave up on his dream, and with the security of having completed his job training behind him, he set his sights on a career in football.
Reward for his development
He moved to Bruchweg and the top of the Mainz academy ladder with the confidence that he could keep up technically and in terms of his understanding of the game. “My goal was to adapt quickly and as well as possible in terms of the physical requirements.” This wasn’t a problem for the 25-year-old, who maintained a high level of fitness at TSV Gau-Odernheim and arrived at Mainz in top condition. His successful step up was the result of the hard work and adaptability he’d shown. “The first training sessions were tough, exhausting and intense. That’s when I realised it was a whole new level. Over time, I got used to it and noticed progress after about three or four sessions.” Moreno Fell became a regular starter for the U23s from matchday 3 onwards. Both his coaches Benni Hoffmann and Christof Babatz, as well as his teammates were instrumental in him scoring his first three Regionalliga goals against top sides like Kickers Offenbach and Stuttgart. “For a striker, it’s important to have the coach's trust, even if you don’t score for a while. You can’t score goals without teammates either,” he explained.
With the U23s enjoying a strong run of form and Moreno Fell also able to showcase his strengths playing in a new league that was two divisions higher than where he’d found himself last season, it was only fitting that he’d get a chance to then train with the first-team under then head coach Bo Henriksen. Moreno Fell admits to having been a bit nervous at the time. “That’s normal though, I think. I just wanted to do the best I could and learn from the experience,” he said. Once again, he managed to quickly adjust to the level of those around him. He left such a strong impression that the 25-year-old was then included in his first Bundesliga matchday squad at home against Werder Bremen on 1st November. After being an unused substitute in Freiburg, Moreno Fell finally got his chance to make his Bundesliga debut as part of the starting line-up against Borussia Mönchengladbach. He was handed his debut by his U23s coach and then interim first-team head coach, Hoffmann. Nadiem Amiri and Silvan Widmer, two experienced FSV players, both did their best to offer him encouragement, and Moreno Fell was able to settle into the match after about 10 to 15 minutes. “The pace is a lot quicker, often you only have time to take one or two touches. There are fewer mistakes made, which means that the ball isn’t out of play as much, so the game itself is more intense,” he shared. Moreno Fell covered more than 10 kilometres before being taken off in the 77th minute. He nearly opened the scoring for FSV in the first half, but was unlucky to hit the post twice. “It almost shocked me a bit,” the 25-year-old admitted about the moment in which he found himself with plenty of space in front of goal, before being called offside. It was a debut to be proud of for the attacker, who is now looking forward to helping the team turn things around under new boss Urs Fischer.
“Definitely a bit surreal”
Under Fischer, the striker was given a few minutes away at Lech Poznań in the Conference League, before being back in the matchday squad once again for FSV’s impressive 2-2 draw against FC Bayern in the league. It really drove home the reality of just how far Moreno Fell has come: back in May, he was playing on the astro in Mainz-Marienborn, whereas he now found himself in the players’ tunnel alongside the likes of Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Joshua Kimmich. “I thought to myself: ‘now look at where you are.’ That was definitely a bit surreal,” he remembers.
Even in the midst of his meteoric rise, the 25-year-old isn’t the type to let his success change him. What helps is the fact that he’s still very close to those he knows in Gau-Odernheim. His former teammates and friends are regular visitors to Bruchweg and the MEWA ARENA, in addition to attending some of the away games, and are all incredibly proud of Moreno Fell. He also takes the time to, when possible, drop by his old club and cheer them on. “It’s important to never forget where you came from. I’m always happy to see the lads and they’re happy for me,” he shared. “It’s something special to see them at our games.”
Be part of the team “as long as possible”
His friends and family will have two more opportunities to potentially watch Moreno Fell play this year. On Thursday, the 05ers will take on Samsunspor in their final Conference League match of 2025, before ending the year at home against St. Pauli. Moreno Fell is hoping to be in the squad for both games and to get a chance to help out the team. He’d like to be part of the team “as long as possible,” in order to continue gaining experience and developing as a player in the new year. Regardless of what happens next year, the 25-year-old should be quite pleased with what has been a special, almost crazy, year of football for him.
