Burkardt: "The work never stops"

Jonny Burkardt’s carnival jersey was recently auctioned off for a whopping €1,500, with the sum astounding even the club’s top scorer himself. He emphasised the almost euphoric feeling shared by each of the Mainz players right now off the back of recent success, something that the home-grown striker hopes will continue.

Burkardt shed light on the current mood in camp following victories in Leipzig and Mönchengladbach which saw FSV climb up to third in the table: “We know how well we are playing and that we have a great chance to achieve something this year. The aim is to remain up there for as long as we can and to retain our positive momentum, because it’s great seeing the fans celebrate,” explained the 24-year-old. Sights are set on another win against another in-form in Freiburg on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 15:30 CET) as they once again don a special jersey. The hope will be to create further separation from a close rival in the standings.

Burkardt shared his first impressions of the newest special jersey to mark the club’s 120th anniversary after trying it on at the club media centre: “It just works! I spoke to Darius (team manager Darius Salbert) earlier about how cool it is to be able to wear these two special jerseys this year. That’s good fun and I’m already looking forward to the pre-match choreo that’s been talked about as well, of course.” Alongside all the nostalgia, euphoria and the celebratory mood that will undoubtedly be present on the upcoming anniversary matchday at a once again sold-out MEWA ARENA, another crucial three points are up for grabs and as soon as that first whistle blows, full focus will be shift to the game at hand. After all, another top performance is essential if the 05ers hope to see off their visitors from Freiburg, who have not conceded a goal in almost 600 minutes. However, FSV’s number 29 hopes to put an end to the streak and knows SCF keeper Noah Atubolu well. “He’s kept out the last four penalties he’s faced, but I think I can sneak one past him,” said the smiling 05er. “In all seriousness, we know that another tough test awaits. Freiburg show great defensive solidity, but we just need to focus on ourselves. I know the quality we possess and have scored a lot of goals recently thanks to the variety in our attacking play. That’s why I have every confidence in us to halt Freiburg’s run.”

20-goal target in sight

No matter the result against Freiburg, Mainz will continue to go about things with the same mentality which has served them so well. The game-by-game approach to things should hopefully assist in coping with the late season pressure which saw them fall away when vying for European qualification under Bo Svensson at the back-end of the 2022/23 season. However, a string of winless games ultimately saw the 05ers finish the campaign in ninth. Learning to deal with that pressure takes time and experience, as Burkardt revealed: “The main lesson we can take from that period is that we simply have to keep going, especially during the week, bringing maximum intensity. The work never stops as we need to continue the momentum gained over the previous games and perhaps that’s something we weren’t so wise to back then. I don’t get the sense that these lads are going start slacking any time soon, though. Although the forward remains not quite at 100% fitness following an injury sustained at the start of the year, but is confident that he will be able to play the full 90 minutes once again to help build up his goal tally. The 20-goal haul that Bo Henriksen predicted Burkardt to rack up last summer now seems very possible, as the attacker concurs: “I didn’t want the figure hanging over me initially as it thought it was very optimistic. However, it does now seem possible. It would be very cool to finish the season on 20 goals.” With the current form of the Mainz sharp-shooter, he even may reach a higher tally.

"I didn’t want the figure hanging over me initially as it thought it was very optimistic"

However, the team’s successful display so far this season, one of the best in the club’s 120-year history, does not come as a complete surprise to the player. He had recently praised the way that the squad had been put together by those in charge, now adding: “In my opinion, success depends on the talks given during half-time breaks and before matches. The atmosphere in the locker room is really beneficial along with the mix of characters we have here right now, which just seems to work. The coaches provide support and input along the way, but us players are the ones that have to act out on that pitch and we’ve been doing that well of late,” judged Burkardt, whose eyes start to light up a little when asked the prospect of European nights at the MEWA ARENA. “It would be amazing to see Mainz on the continental stage, which is something that seemed impossible in recent years and hence would be very special.” A close-knit unit has emerged encompassing both the squad and coaching staff, which has long since rallied the fans again. “I believe that a lot of these players appreciate the chance to play here in this environment and a club which provides such calm. Success brings people together, and nobody wants that to disappear, which is clear to see. Achieving something great together increases the likelihood of staying together,” explained Burkardt, who hopes that his team can continue their good run of form. Therefore, a big performance will be needed to ensure SC Freiburg do not dampen the mood at the weekend.