By Zach Lowy
Founded in 1905, Mainz needed to wait an entire century to make their first appearance in the Bundesliga in 2004/05. They spent three consecutive seasons in Germany’s top-flight before dropping down to the 2. Bundesliga; after two years in the second tier, Mainz returned to the upper echelon in 2009/10, where they have remained ever since. However, Mainz’s top-flight status came under threat in 2023/24, taking three points from their first nine and prompting them to sack Bo Svensson after nearly three years at the helm. Former Academy Manager Jan Siewert was given the reins on 2 November, only to be dismissed after claiming just one win from 12 matches. They they turned to Bo Henriksen, who guided Mainz to their second win of the campaign in his first match in charge, beating Augsburg 1-0, before taking just one point from their next three matches.
They looked dead and buried after succumbing to an 8-1 thrashing at Bayern Munich on 9 March – with just nine matches remaining, two points separated them from the relegation playoff spot, whilst nine separated them from automatic safety. But as Mainz fans would come to find out, it was merely darkest before the dawn. Die Nullfünfer would go on to win five, draw four, and avoid relegation on the final day of the season.
One year after taking charge, Henriksen has Mainz sitting pretty in third place and challenging for a first-ever Champions League qualification. He’s averaging 1.8 points per match, better than the likes of previous Mainz managers Thomas Tuchel and Jürgen Klopp. But just how has he done it? Let’s take a look:
Evolution in Footballing Mentality
From Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth to Sebastian Hoeneß’s Stuttgart to Eric Roy’s Brest, we’ve seen quite a few managers come into a new team, overhaul the club’s footballing mentality, and revitalize them from basement-dwellers to breakout sensations. We got a glimpse of this from Henriksen in his first press conference, stating:
“We want to start developing this winning mentality. There are players with quality but without confidence. I think this team has lots of power, intensity and quality on the ball, but that doesn’t matter – we need to show it. We want to get the team’s belief back. We have to be ready to take risks. Having no fear is the most important thing.”
It might have seemed like a hackneyed soundbite at the time, but it’s this fearlessness that has enabled Mainz players to start enjoying their football again and approaching each match with vigor and intensity. They’re no longer scared of making mistakes – they have the self-confidence to play through these errors and execute the game plan.
Whereas in the past, they’d drop their heads after falling behind, now, they will fight back and put their opponent under the cosh. Whereas in the past, they’d sit back and soak up pressure after going ahead, now, they will keep the pedal to the metal and push to add onto the lead. We saw an example of this last weekend when, four minutes after conceding, Nadiem Amiri restored Mainz’s two-goal advantage in a 3-1 victory at Gladbach.
Shrewd Decision-making off the Pitch
Having won seven matches last season, Mainz have already won 13 of their 25 matches in 2024/25. They’ve done so despite losing key figures like Leandro Barreiro, Sepp van den Berg, and Brajan Gruda, selling the latter to Brighton for €30 million. Mainz were able to offload underperforming players and spend within their means to improve the squad, and they’ve done so under the watchful eye of Christian Heidel. A Mainz native, Heidel served as Mainz’s Director of Sport from 1992 to 2016 before leaving for Schalke, he returned in 2020 and has been able to sell key players for lucrative profits whilst replenishing their squad with promising youngsters and veteran leaders.
It’s this elixir of youth and experience that has proven vital for Mainz’s success. Moritz Jenz has provided a bedrock of stability since arriving from Wolfsburg, slotting into the middle of the back three alongside Danny da Costa and Dominik Kohr, whilst goalkeeper Robin Zentner has prevented 76% of the shots that he has faced and amassed a whopping 83 saves.
Further forward, Anthony Caci and Philipp Mwene have both thrived at charging up the flanks and whipping in crosses whilst diligently tracking back and shepherding their rival attackers into safety. Together, the wing-back duo has proven essential for a penurious defence that has conceded just 26 goals, only behind Bayern Munich (23).
Many of their new arrivals, however, haven’t even been transfers. Paul Nebel has gone from cutting his teeth on loan at lower-tier Karlsruher SC to excelling in attack, whilst teenage striker Nelson Weiper has gone from developing in Mainz’s academy to delivering the goods for the first team. It’s why, for the first time in a decade, Mainz fans are dreaming of continental football.
Burkardt and Amiri Leading the Chase
If there’s one thing that fans love more than watching their previously mid-table side challenge for European football, it’s seeing an academy product reach superstardom with the first-team. That’s proven to be the case with Jonathan Burkardt. The Mainz youth graduate finished as their top scorer in 2021/22 before being ravaged by injuries, but since getting back to full fitness, he’s emerged as one of the finest strikers in Germany.
Burkardt has scored 14 league goals this season, twice as many as any other Mainz player, and behind only Omar Marmoush, Patrik Schick and Harry Kane in the Bundesliga. As opposed to Mainz’s previous striker Ludovic Ajorque, a 6’5” target man, Burkardt is a smaller, technically gifted player who is capable of linking up with his teammates, squeezing out of tight areas, and swiveling past opponents before putting his ruthless efficiency to use.
Whilst Burkardt is their attacking talisman, Nadiem Amiri is their creative facilitator. After arriving from Bayer Leverkusen in January 2024, Amiri has supplemented Burkardt’s tireless runs with incisive through balls and inch-perfect passes. Having broke onto the scene as an attacking midfielder, Amiri has excelled as a deep-lying playmaker with a knack for finding intricate passing lanes, transporting the ball from the first third to the final third, and putting chances on a platter for his teammates.
High-intensity football
Mainz have taken the Bundesliga by storm this season thanks to a high-octane pressing style that has allowed them to suffocate their opponents and ensure that they’re recovering possession in advantageous areas. With a full preseason to work with, Henriksen has engrained his tactical approach into his players, who are committed to making selfless runs, being first to loose balls, and getting back in time to defend against the counter. Mainz sit third in the Bundesliga for aerial duels (555), sprints (5,925), and possession won in the final third per 90 (4.4), whilst they also top the league for interceptions per 90 (10.2).
“There is a footballing culture in Mainz in terms of the Gegenpressing and intensity, but it needed to be reawakened by a manager with something fresh to say, and that’s what Henriksen has done,” stated Mainz-based fan Conor Garratt, the co-host of the Mainz podcast Orderly Q-ing Pod. “Henriksen has been able to get his methods across and slowly tweak things, he’s looked at what he’s got and thought, ‘I can add a little bit of quality here,’ he’s managed to make players more confident and slightly adjust the tactics to make it more effective. Rather than doing one thing particularly well, he’s taken what’s available and made each element slightly better by making the right choices.”
The exhilarating high of avoiding relegation on the final day hasn’t worn off yet: instead, it’s only increased exponentially, with big-name players buying into the process, doing the dirty work out of possession, and pouring out their heart and soul into helping Mainz churn out a result. This intensity has proven contagious to their fanbase, who are packing the MEWA ARENA to the brim and flocking to away fixtures across Germany in order to cheer on their team. And on Saturday, they’ll be looking to rally their troops and spur them to a fifth straight victory against top-four rivals Freiburg.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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