More than 100 days have already elapsed since Niko Bungert started in his new role as sporting director for Mainz 05, following the decision of his predecessor Martin Schmidt to move into a more behind-the-scenes role due to personal reasons. Bungert, along with technical director Meikel Schönweitz, who he works closely with, was rather thrown in at the deep end when he took on the position in the midst of an ongoing and tumultuous transfer window. The 38-year-old was well-prepared to do so, however, since the former Mainz player and assistant coach had “the intention fairly shortly after the end of my playing career of taking on more responsibility for the club’s sporting direction.”
In an interview, he spoke about a “positive” experience “in every regard” since he took over his new position, as well as his first transfer period, the squad, the current sporting outlook ahead of the away match in Kiel on Sunday, working with Bo Henriksen and the joy of working in a very varied job.
So Niko, what does a sporting director get up to during the international break? Do you get a chance to switch off a bit?
“A bit but there was still plenty going on. We continued our work on planning the squad. There is always lots being discussed by those responsible for the sporting direction of the club. I also got to watch a number of games and look at players, because there are always things that need tweaking within the squad. On Saturday, I attended the U23s’ home match with a view to our up-and-coming talents. Then on Sunday, I was at our AGM.”
It was obviously much nicer to be going into this international break with the first home win of the season having just been secured. How would you sum up the first ten matches of the campaign from a sporting perspective?
“We have got ourselves into a good position from which to achieve the goal that we set each season. That is, to create as much distance between ourselves and the teams at the foot of the table as possible, and to secure our top-flight status as early as we can. With nearly a third of the matches behind us, we are on the right track to achieve that, so everything is going well at this moment in time.”
“The boys are full of confidence and belief in their abilities right now”
What do you put that down to?
“Overall so far, the performances have been promising, but it is clear to see that the boys have upped things over the past few weeks. They are full of confidence and belief in their abilities right now.”
You must be hoping for more of the same?
“Yes, but we are still far from achieving that secure position in the table. We need to keep at it, continuing to work hard for points each week in order to gain as many as possible. We want to build on our recent strong displays during this Sunday’s away match in Kiel.”
Results on the road have been good so far for the most part, but things have been trickier at the MEWA ARENA. In your analysis, what have you found that to stem from?
“We are not so concerned about that. I was hoping that would have all been put to rest after the win against Dortmund. We are confident in our abilities because we have displayed the successful brand of football that we are capable of producing on a number of occasions. Every home game has its own story. We probably deserved the three points against Union and we played well for long periods against Bremen but just didn’t find that final pass after they went down to ten. There was a similar sort of trend against Heidenheim and Leipzig, but it was noticeable how the boys upped the performance when Mönchengladbach visited.”
Bungert in an interview following a home match at the MEWA ARENA. Speaking to the media is one of the many duties of the sporting director.
“We can’t just go out and buy a direct replacement for every player”
A number of the new arrivals have clearly made advances over the course of the season so far. Is that one of the reasons for the upturn in performances?
“Three players with high market values departed ahead of the current campaign, with Brajan Gruda, Leo Barreiro and Sepp van den Berg all leaving. However, that is nothing unusual for Mainz 05. We can’t just go out and buy a direct replacement for every player; rather, we have integrated promising young talents into the squad, those who are ready to make the next step up and establish themselves in a Bundesliga side. We are seeing that more and more from Kaishu Sano. Paul Nebel is also doing really well in that regard after showing patience and making a case for the starting line-up with his performances. Armindo Sieb is another who has impressed after delivering a couple of goals, starting twice as well. Nelly Weiper, Niki Veratschnig and Gabi Vidovic are all also players who are making small steps forward, and who are ready to take their chance should it come. On top of that, having Moritz Jenz come straight into the team and provide immediate quality has been really beneficial.”
Is the squad already well-equipped in your opinion, enough so that further transfers won’t be needed during the January window?
“Yes, at this moment in time, I think so. We always want to keep the squad relatively small for a few reasons. It obviously costs more money to have more players. If you don’t have any injuries then you are left with a really strong and happy group. First and foremost, we also want to keep the door open for young players to come through and have the chance to play in the Bundesliga. Against BVB, we had four home-grown players in the starting line-up in Robin, Bello, Paul and Jonny, all who broke through at different times. That served as a sign of how we like to go about things. It can mean that a few players have to do a job in an unfamiliar position when injuries arise. We can have a great bunch of players ready to take on that role when they are needed though. We have great faith in them, too.”
There is a new Germany international among the Mainz ranks and a home-grown one at that. How have you viewed what Jonny has been producing recently?
“Jonny has gradually continued to improve despite setbacks and injuries, and has devoted himself so much in every aspect. He implores himself so professionally off the pitch as well and gives it his all in every training session. His hard work over the years paid off with his Germany call-up, but you can still see how much desire he has to keep developing and how much joy that brings him. That speaks volumes for Jonny’s character but also the outstanding work that goes into developing players both in the academy and in the first team.”
Bungert (then assistant coach) with new Germany international Jonny Burkardt after securing Bundesliga survival in Wolfsburg last season.
“That was a very demanding period but an extremely rewarding one at the same time”
More than 100 days have now elapsed since you took over as sporting director. How have you found the experience personally so far?
“It has been a positive one in every regard. The work is a lot of fun! I have had to deal with two very different periods since taking over. The first four weeks were rather topsy-turvy during the transfer window. Every day, there were talks with agents, negotiations going on until late in the evening, new players coming onto the market, or new offers coming in for our players. That was a very demanding period but an extremely rewarding one at the same time. Following transfer deadline day, I was then able to focus on the more exciting jobs in a more relaxed manner, like working on the squad.”
Do you feel like you’ve fully settled into your new role now?
“Yes, that happened quickly because I am really enjoying the role. The team I work with are great, which I am really grateful for, and we work well together. Christian Heidel brings so much experience in every aspect and our head of scouting, Bernd Legien, has such useful knowledge and networks. Meikel Schönweitz is then the technical director, who I started alongside, and Martin Schmidt is still there to answer questions on certain topics. Starting in the role with this expert support behind me has been really helpful.”
How is it going working with Bo, who you were assistant coach to during the second half of last season?
“It’s changed a bit, of course, because I’m no longer on the coaching staff. But I still liaise a lot with Bo. We discuss many things, trying to develop the team together and nip any potential problems in the bud. We got to know and appreciate each other in a different sort of environment last season. That’s why it has started so well for me, seeing as I know him, with the team and the staff already.”
As sporting director, you have many different tasks. Is there any one job you particularly enjoy?
“I would say planning for the future. Many small pieces of the puzzle ultimately have to fit together in order to have a team performing as well as possible. Together, we try to create the best possible work environment for everyone. Of course, the main thing is to have a squad that is as strong as possible, but also one that gels nicely and has the right attitude. The people working with the team, that is to say the coaching staff, are also very important in that. The way in which training, medical care and other processes all operate must be harmonised. We also want to have a good working culture. Everyone should enjoy their job and love the club, which we try to emulate as those responsible for the sporting directives. In my opinion, all of this leads to a better chance of success.”
“The game in Kiel will not be an easy one”
After ending your playing career, you completed a trainee course at the club, covering every department. How has that assisted you?
“I had the intention fairly shortly after the end of my playing career of taking on more responsibility for the club’s sporting direction. I tried to prepare myself for this as best I could with the help of the club. The trainee course was hugely influential, both in terms of what I learned, but also for getting to know a large number of important employees at the club on a different level in order to better understand their roles. I also enrolled on a management course with the DFB and DFL, which shed light on many important aspects of my work. The third factor was the experience in the coaching team. In the job of sporting director, it’s very important to understand how a coach thinks and what the day-to-day work as part of the coaching staff involves.”
Finally, let’s return to the sporting side of things. What are your hopes for the last few matches before the winter break?
“Primarily, another focused, strong performance with be required against Kiel so we can hopefully take three points home with us. We know that the game in Kiel will not be an easy one but it’s an important match for us. The most important thing is to take things little by little, concentrating on having success in this game before we think about the second or third challenge that awaits us.”
