Caci: "A lot of intensity in every tackle"

With the international break behind them, 1. FSV Mainz 05 now turn their focus back to the Bundesliga, where a clash with SV Werder Bremen awaits at the MEWA ARENA (Sunday, 15th September, 17:30 CEST). Anthony Caci and his teammates have started preparations for the match with "a positive feeling." He added, "We've trained a lot over the last days and are ready for the game. It's also always an advantage to be playing at home in front of our fans – it's like having an extra player on our side and gives us additional energy on the pitch." The 27-year-old is expecting there to be plenty of hard tackles and one-v-ones during the match. "Games against Werder are always physical, same as against Union Berlin or FC Augsburg. There will be a lot of intensity in every tackle, but we know what to expect and have prepared well, also with the help of video analysis", Caci explained. 

Bremen and Mainz both still unbeaten 

Head coach Ole Werner's side have started the Bundesliga season with back-to-back draws against FC Augsburg and Borussia Dortmund, just like the 05ers. Asked about Mainz's start to the campaign, Caci said: "We've had a decent start to the season. It's always tough to play against Stuttgart and we're pleased that we managed to take a point off them. We played well against Union, but our performance wasn't good enough to win. We've done well so far but we're itching to get our first win of the season." The defender has featured in 158 of a possible 180 minutes across the first two Bundesliga matchdays in 2024/25. 

Caci is heading into his third campaign with the 05ers, having managed to carve out a role for himself within the team. "I want to be a leader out on the pitch and always be 100% focused on the match. I also want to be a role model for my teammates and transmit the desire to win every game to the team," he said about wanting to take up responsibility and – ideally – play in his favourite position. "I prefer to play on the right. I was usually playing on the left while I was at Racing Strasbourg, but last season I was able to deliver several strong performances on the right," Caci said, adding that he's able to better dribble with his stronger right foot when on the right-hand side, in addition to playing better passes and delivering crosses. 

Settled in to life in Germany 

The Frenchman arrived at FSV in summer 2022 and first had to adjust to living in a new country with a different culture. "There are many things that are different in Germany compared to France. If I focus specifically on football, then I'd say that the style of play in the Bundesliga is a bit more intense and features more tackles. Culturally, there were also many things that were new to me such as the food – although I do enjoy eating schnitzel," he said with a grin. Fortunately, he doesn't have to travel too far in order to return home. The defender comes from Forbach, a French town located close to the border with Germany. "Due to the proximity to Germany, my mother speaks very good German," he explained. "It's only about an hour and a half drive from my hometown to Mainz, so it's nice for me to not be too far from home." 

Caci still maintains a close friendship with fellow Frenchman and former teammate Ludovic Ajorque, who joined Stade Brest over the summer. "I'm still in touch with Ludo. I tried to support him the best I could when he arrived in Germany because he didn't speak a word of German, which is always tough when you move to a new country. He didn't play as much at Mainz last season and the fact that he has moved to Stade Brest is just part of football," Caci said. The defender wishes both Ajorque and Edimilson Fernandes, who also recently joined Stade Brest, nothing but the best: "I hope that both have a successful season in Brest and that they're able to showcase themselves there." Caci himself is hoping to achieve the maximum possible with FSV this season, with a focus on earning their first win of the season at the MEWA ARENA this coming weekend.