Bungert: “We want to be as close to perfection as possible”

In August 2024, Niko Bungert took over from Martin Schmidt as the sporting director of Mainz 05, and since then has been responsible for the goings-on in and around the club’s first team. His first season in this new role could hardly have gone better. The 38-year-old spoke to us about the 05ers’ aims going into the final few games of the season, the upcoming match against FC Bayern and why Bo Henriksen has arrived "in the right place at the right time."

Niko, a year ago, you were assistant coach during a relegation battle. How do you compare that situation to where we are now?

Bungert: There was far more tension, because a relegation fight is something very different. It’s more extreme. Now, the feeling is a lot more positive and shaped by the desire to achieve something big. Both require a positive energy, because you can’t be successful without that, no matter what your aims are.

We had to settle for a draw after a late equaliser against Wolfsburg last time out. How will we approach the final four matches?

Bungert: There’s no doubt that the Wolfsburg game was unfortunate and disappointing. As a point of principle, we go into every game wanting to win. We would have wanted more from the last few weeks overall, but we’ll draw a line through this. We don’t want to live in the past, so instead we’re looking forward to an exciting end to the season. We’ve got a great chance of achieving something special once again, as we did last year. We’re now facing FC Bayern, who will probably win the title, in front of a full stadium with more than 7,000 Mainz fans there to support us. We’ll be up against some of the best players in Europe, if not the world. The lads are looking forward to it and will try, in traditional Mainz 05 style, to upset the big boys. To answer the question, we’re aiming to pick up points against the top teams, get through a tough assignment in Bochum and then look at where we are after that. We want to be as close to perfection as possible.

“We would have wanted more from the last few weeks overall”

Is it a good thing that, for the first time in a while, we won’t be favourites?

Bungert: At the end of the day, that’s the case for every team that plays at the Allianz Arena. I’ve personally experienced both highs (two away wins – ed.) and lows there. It could go either way, and I know that the team will believe they have a chance and will have the support of the fans behind them. We are the underdogs, but Mainz 05 have thrived off that time and time again. I’m really looking forward to the game. For the first time in weeks, we’ve almost got a full squad of players to pick from.

What was your approach to facing Bayern as a player?

Bungert: Our wins from the last ten or 15 years all tell their own stories. The main requirement was always to prepare well and have a good game plan. Against Bayern of course, things always have the potential to fall apart. No one has ever criticised us for this, and that won’t happen in the future either. Because of that, I believe that we’ll have to be brave in our approach. This has earned us positive results in a number of other games. I don’t think there’s any alternative to being brave, even though I’m fully aware that it can and may end in failure. At the weekend, I want to see that every player believes that we have a chance. We want to see the hunger in their eyes. I have no doubt that Bo and his coaching staff will get exactly that across to the team.

The club were confident last week in declaring their official target for this season as European qualification…

Bungert: It was unavoidable in the end. It’s clear that we all really want to achieve it. As is always the case though, we’re trying to just focus on our next game. However, we have got ourselves into a position where it would be wrong to not have any goals. We want to achieve something special for this club over the last four games.

You were the captain of the only Mainz side to play a European group stage back in 2016. What are your memories of it?

Bungert: The special thing back then was making it to the group stage after previously losing in the qualification phase after finishing fifth and seventh in the league. We were so disappointed on both occasions. Managing to progress at the third attempt was really satisfying and a massive success. It was a bit like winning a Bundesliga title as Bayern. As a Mainz 05 player, you won’t win the league. Reaching the Europa League group stages in that decade was the biggest achievement we could have managed back then. I only have positive memories of that season, even if we were unlucky to miss out on the knockout stages in the end. Those games and away trips were the highlight of my long playing career at Mainz 05. I’ll never forget the first goal against St. Etienne. I’ve still got pictures of that moment in my office now. The trips abroad, the final training sessions in the stadium, the team pictures pre-game and the anthem playing as you walk out – those were all unique moments in my career.

"...Reaching the Europa League group stages in that decade was the biggest achievement we could have managed back then."

Very few people know Mainz 05 as well as you do. How would you define your role within the dressing room away from matchdays? How closely do you work with the team?

Bungert: My job is to ensure the players have everything they need to be successful. In my opinion, the most important thing is that every player, coach and staff member enjoys coming to Bruchweg and is relaxed here. I try to speak to everybody and listen to them. I want to help them with problems or even ensure that these problems never happen in the first place. Communicating and being interested in what others are working on is important, but so is giving them freedom and trusting them so that they can do their job well. We’ve got a great team here and I don’t just mean the lads who step out onto the pitch every weekend.

Knowing that we’ve already been able to secure safety will have made it easier to get started on squad planning for next season. However, what impact would qualifying for Europe have on these preparations?

Bungert: Obviously we’re running through every scenario in order to prepare ourselves. That’s part of our duties. Overall, however, we’re pretty relaxed because the majority of our current squad are all still under contract next year. We also have various players returning from their loan spells. We aren’t under any pressure to enter into negotiations, which means that we don’t have to worry too much about next season. It’s normal for there to be some movement after the season. For us, it’s important to not get drawn into this cycle of thinking “What would happen if…?” Our current goals as a team are of far more importance, as we all want to play successful football together. The lads are hungry and have confidence in their strengths.

The club have just been granted their license for the upcoming season, the MEWA ARENA is sold out week in and out and membership numbers are skyrocketing – what’s it like being part of Mainz 05 at the minute from your perspective as sporting director, a former player and as a fan?

Bungert: It’s great fun. You can feel that the entire city are behind Mainz 05. That’s never been something to take for granted. There’s likely never been this level of euphoria surrounding Mainz 05, but we’ve worked together to achieve this and now need to keep it going. The support we have is almost limitless, especially last season when we were battling relegation before we managed to turn things around. This wouldn’t have been possible without this level of support. I think that there’s a lot that’s fitting together perfectly here and that we all enjoy working for Mainz 05, in the same way that the fans are behind us and proud to support FSV. The players, just like our staff, give it their all each and every day. People pick up on that and it helps you grow closer.

The head coach has surely also played a part in this recent development…