Heidel: “I’m optimistic that we’ll find a way out of this“

Christian Heidel has already been in battle mode for a good while. The poor start to the season with one point from six games and the 05ers’ eleven game winless run in the Bundesliga spanning two seasons has altered the Mainz board member for sport’s state of mind. The 60-year-old is alert, ever-present and has called for calm and unity – evoking all of Mainz’s virtues that have proven themselves on a consistent basis in the past. We have interviewed the longest-serving Bundesliga manager about expectations, his optimism and positive support for the head coach and the team.

Hello Christian, Mainz are bottom of the table after six matches. What do you make of this?

Christian Heidel: It’s definitely not a great situation to be in. We would’ve all wanted a more successful start to the season and hoped to be in a better position after a good pre-season. However, we can’t just feel sorry for ourselves – we need to accept this situation and fight against it together. That’s exactly the state of mind I find myself in. 

Where did you start with your investigation into the causes of this situation?

Christian Heidel: Maybe we will take a look back at last season. We avoided defeat ten games in a row and even beat FC Bayern at home in the tenth game of this run. I didn’t let myself get carried away by the increasing sense of euphoria and maintained that we always need to be realistic. Our performances were good, but we weren’t high flyers and were rewarded with more points than we deserved. It was as if I had a vision. Unfortunately, experience teaches you that dry spells can happen over and over again and that this is a situation that can easily occur, especially in the case of Mainz 05. Most of the time, these spells come from nowhere and catch you off-guard. That applies to football in particular and you have to be able to deal with these things. 

Has there been a hangover from last season?

Christian Heidel: I wouldn’t say that. The team was a little tired at the end of the season and let their heads drop to some extent during the losses that followed our unbeaten run. However, the team had a good end to the season with a great game in Dortmund. Pre-season was good and our squad planning went well. But several factors then suddenly come into the equation. We have had unfortunate spells of play, conceding a goal in the first minute of the season away at Union Berlin and going 2-0 behind after nine minutes with their second chance, before missing two penalties. We conceded the equaliser in added time against Eintracht Frankfurt after putting in a good performance and conceded a penalty from Werder’s first attack in Bremen. Meanwhile, a hardly noticeable offside decision prevented us from going 2-0 up in Augsburg, with us immediately conceding an equaliser, whilst we also went behind against Leverkusen due to an own goal. There have also been injury problems with up to six defenders and key players unavailable. However, there have also been too many individual mistakes and a loss in self-confidence, which is a fundamental factor in professional sport, and also causes you to make more incorrect decisions on the pitch. 

What still gives you hope that the head coach and the team will turn a corner?

Christian Heidel: The most important thing is to accept this situation. For us in the world of sport, this means that we internally analyse things in an open and critical manner, and then work on finding a way out of this crisis together. We can’t let ourselves be led astray by setbacks and need to stick together. This is exactly what I’m seeing from the coach and the team – they are very self-critical, focused and full of energy. The team has made a good, positive impression and is pulling together. We are working hard in all areas to make sure that things get better, putting in everything we’ve got. Therefore, I am optimistic that we can work this out together, even if there’s no guarantee of a result in any game. 

How would you describe the current emotions of the fans?

Christian Heidel: It’s clear that they’re feeling disappointed, but this is more in an uplifting and constructive sense than destructive, and ultimately shows their love for the club, which will be vital in getting us out of this mess. It wouldn’t be useful to celebrate the start to our season, but with strong support from our fans, we have a much greater chance of turning things around. This has been the case for us in previous seasons, and it’s the only way we can be successful again this time round. The players and coaching staff have worked hard for two and a half years and deserve this level of support, and it’s probably necessary to remind some critics that we are one of the Bundesliga clubs with the lowest financial backing. Only six other clubs have played continuously alongside us in the league since our promotion in 2009, and it’s vital that we put our absolute all into being among the elite again next season.

After the game against Bayer 04 Leverkusen, you spoke to the fans about a relegation battle...

Christian Heidel: My aim was to make everyone aware of our situation. In this industry, everyone knows what a relegation battle means. Nothing is set in stone by matchday 6, so we have to move forward with patience and perseverance in order to climb the table. This isn’t all bad considering we were only exempt from that for two years, and at the end of the day, therein also lies the opportunity for us to become stronger from this adversity.