The main purpose for this visit to Germany actually laid elsewhere, but I find it impossible to visit this beautiful country and not enjoy some of its fantastically entertaining football. This time it was to be the DFB cup, last-16 fixture between Mainz and Stuttgart. Exploring the city of Mainz has been on the agenda for a long time, a place sometimes overlooked by tourists despite its famous Fastnacht carnival and picturesque architecture. However, what I’ve really wanted to find out is what their football club is all about, The Nullfünf (Zero Fivers), that have worked so valiantly to become a regular force in a tough league such as the Bundesliga. It’s also the place where top managers such as Jürgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel made their names.
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| Christmas market |
Getting to the stadium was rather easy. In Germany, your football ticket counts as a free travel pass on any train, bus or tram within a reasonable distance of where the game is to be played. From Mainz Central train station, there were regular shuttle buses heading straight there. This journey took roughly 10-minutes and dropped us within walking distance of the newly built (2011) Coface Arena (now Opel Arena). For a construction cost far lower than many new stadiums in the U.K., they have spent their money wisely and ended up with a very attractive home, purpose built for football and glistening in the night sky from miles away.
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| Opel Arena |
Inside you have to buy a pre-paid card for drinks and food, a system that has been adopted by many German clubs. It worked quite well, although it didn’t make service all that fast, everyone did get served before the 2nd half started. I also had the pleasure of tasting something called a ‘Fleichkäse’, basically a wedge of pork stuffed in a bun, which I smothered with delicious German mustard. Whilst devouring this pre-game snack I met Mr. Mainz himself, a man by the name of Martin. Martin took me into the heart of the singing Ultras and kindly started translating the words I didn’t understand. I instantly felt at home by this electrified atmosphere many German Ultras seem to create. Cheering the players as they warmed up. Singing loudly even though we were still 25-minutes from kick-off. A smokebomb went off elevating the atmosphere further, pumping everyone up just before the start of the game.
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| Q Block |
So, for the game itself. Mainz went 1-nil down and it was clear that their defence was lacking to say the least. However, what they lacked in defence they more than made up for in attack. For a team that hasn’t really spent much on players at all, they attack in a far more valiant and exuberant way than most Premier League sides. Nippy runs down the wings, with sharp crosses into the box.
During the first half, Mainz sorely missed someone to finish these chances. But when Muto came on in the second half, there was an added air of hope expressed in the singing and a feeling that he would surely do the job. He started off by trying to poke in a goal-line scramble, a goal which only a true poacher could score. Although he apparently didn’t get the final touch, it was his clever swivel that resulted in the ball crossing the line. 1-1!
2-1 came shortly after, with the ever involved Berggreen setting up a rather peculiar goal this time. From a long ball into the box, the Stuttgart defenders seemed more intent on pulling the shirts of goalscorer Diallo, and goal-creator Berggreen. For a young player, Berggreen demonstrates a strong physical presence and a level of maturity in the box usually only seen from more senior players. Using his strength, he managed to hold off the defender and bring the ball down to the feet of Diallo, who then took a clever shot straight on the half-volley to surprise the keeper. Mainz lead!!
The killer-blow from Mainz came in the dying moments of the game. Stuttgart were pressing hard for an equaliser, when top performer De Blasis broke free to set up substitute Serdar for an easy finish alone with the keeper. Mainz win 3-1!!!
As already mentioned, Mainz do possess a certain ferociousness in attack which was evident in the second half. But it would be wrong not to highlight an incredible performance from young goalkeeper Zentner, who quite frankly was the main reason Mainz were still in the game after 60-minutes. In the first half, he stopped numerous Stuttgart goal attempts, including a 1-on-1 which looked destined to end up in the back of the net. Not to mention the penalty he saved at the beginning of the second half, a key moment which lifted Mainz and spurred them on to get back in it. At the final whistle, he was graciously thanked by the outstanding Mainz supporters, with the capo (almost like a singing conductor with a megaphone) inviting him to lead the traditional Humba. This celebratory dance was actually brought into football by Mainz and has now spread to other teams throughout the league. It involves crouching down whilst the player demands the letters ‘H-U-M-B-A’, then everyone flying up simultaneously and dancing around like lunatics. Fitting end to a crazy game and an unforgettable matchday experience!
This season has been difficult in the Bundesliga for the Null Fünf. They’ve not managed to capture the on-field magic from previous seasons and their defence seems disorganised. Sadly, they also parted with arguably the best sporting director in the league, Christian Heidel. Heidel’s prowess in the transfer market speaks for itself and I believe he’s left a big gap behind. His ability to buy and sell players resulting in big profits (Okazaki, Geis, Schürrle, Szalai) was something that played a massive role in growing this fantastic club to its current stature. Some would regard this as treating players like stock, but for a small club like Mainz it’s essential to be sharp in the transfer market, re-invest and strengthen if you’re going to have any chance of staying in the league. They’ve done this with great success for a number of years now, even plying their trade in the Europa League last season.
Despite the current situation, it’s engrained in Mainz’s DNA to keep going in the face of adversity and work with what they’ve got. They’re a hardworking bunch and although this season will no doubt be a very difficult test, if they get a fit striker in Ujah (recently re-signed) and manage to get more organised in defence, they’ll hang on and hopefully keep us entertained in the top-flight for many seasons to come.
