“When the team came out, Jonny and I smiled at each other”

Being called up for the Germany national team’s UEFA Nations League quarter-final against Italy was already a dream come true for Nadiem Amiri and his Mainz teammate Jonathan Burkardt. The midfielder hadn’t been selected since 2020, so it’s not surprising that he was excited to be back in the fold: “The atmosphere was more relaxed than last time; there was a real team spirit. I was positively surprised. Being able to wear the shirt and be part of that atmosphere again was very special.”  Amiri knew he wasn’t just there to make up the numbers from day one of training. “We did some tactical work in an 11v0 drill and I was in the starting line-up. I didn’t know if that applied for the game too, but then the other lads said that it would. I was absolutely buzzing,” said the 05er during a media session at Bruchweg, which took place without Burkardt, who was feeling a little unwell.

The 2-1 win in the first leg at Milan’s San Siro saw Amiri share the starting line-up with Burkardt, who Nagelsmann had named as the lone frontman in his starting line-up. It was a special moment, not just for the two Mainz players, but for the club as a whole – there had never been two 05ers in the DFB-Team starting XI before, something Amiri was very aware of. “When the team came out, Jonny and I just smiled at each other. It was amazing,” said the 28-year-old, who was quick to note that the achievement is anything but a handout: “We always work hard here, and the boss chooses his squad based on performance.” Mainz’s strong season hasn’t gone unnoticed by the other Germany internationals either. “It makes you proud when you go to the national team as a Mainz player and everyone is talking to you about how well things are going for us. You can see that we have earned respect from the big clubs. But it’s hard work that has got us here and we deserve to be where we are in the table.”

From the DFB to BVB

After the highs of being named in the Germany squad and then the starting line-up, the two matches were pretty memorable too, especially with the game in Italy taking place in a stadium Amiri knows well from his time at Genoa. “I had already played in the San Siro before. It’s my favourite stadium. When we walked out and then the anthems were played, that was simply unbelievable. It is the best feeling.” Playing in the more advanced number 10 role took a little bit of adjustment for him though: “I’ve been playing as a holding midfielder for one and a half years, so I just tried my best to do everything Julian asked of me: lots of chasing the ball and creating space for the other lads.” That bedding-in period is why Amiri wasn’t able to make his mark going forward in the first half, although the whole team struggled to put Italy under pressure. “I’m happy with the minutes I got. The most important thing is that we progressed to the semis,” said Amiri, who came on in the 63rd minute of the spectacular 3-3 draw in the second leg in Dortmund.

Amiri will be going straight back to Dortmund on Sunday, with 4,500 Mainz fans expected to make the journey to support the team against BVB at the Signal Iduna Park. The 05ers haven’t lost any of their last four games against Borussia. Amiri was part of two home wins during that run, but this will be his first trip to the Black-Yellows in a Mainz shirt. “All good things come in threes. We need to deliver once again on Sunday,” said the midfield maestro, who was already back on the training pitch at Bruchweg on Tuesday – one day earlier than planned. “I felt that three days off before such a big game is maybe too much. My legs feel pretty heavy right now, but I need that and then I’ll be back to full strength from Friday.”

“The ultimate motivation”

Being part of the Germany team again has spurred the 28-year-old on more, if that was even possible in such a pulsating domestic season. “The chance to get back into the squad has lit another fire in me, but there’s already so much that we can still achieve this season. It’s the ultimate motivation.” Amiri is very much looking forward to returning to Dortmund and playing in front of a “unique backdrop”, even if the majority of fans will be against him this time. “We know that we can take a big step with three points there,” said the 05er, although he was keen to stress that BVB’s recent struggles don’t make the task any easier. “They have immense quality. It could be the case that everything suddenly clicks for them again. We’re prepared for everything and I’m expecting them to come at us with force. The pressure is on Dortmund. We’re uncomfortable opponents for any side and won’t hand over the points easily,” said Amiri, who is now fully focused on the next few weeks at club level as he looks to make the next dream come true: “We haven’t achieved anything yet. It’s in our hands.”