"The fans made it a really special occasion"

MAINZ 05 2-2 SC FREIBURG

Niko Bungert: “We knew this would be a tough game so we aren’t too down about things. It was pretty clear to us from the off that there wouldn’t be a whole host of chances so we needed to remain patient and show our quality when the time came. Titi provided a great ball for the first goal and Jonny was in the right place at the right time. The sending-off was a bitter pill to swallow but you just have to deal with that sort of thing. To score twice against Freiburg is no mean feat so we really earned our point today. We will make good use of the two week break now to come back with added vigour when we return.”

Nadiem Amiri: “Today was a real mixed bag of emotions – I am neither happy nor sad with how things panned out. It was a tough task to play a man down for 50 minutes but we showed real desire and character and are pleased to have earned a point. In my opinion, it’s also a good thing that we are disappointed with just the draw today. We gave it everything but a big mention has to also go to the fans who provided us with such motivation. I am convinced that we would have won if we’d had 11 players out there for the full 90. I will now head off with the national team, which I am very grateful to be able to do. It’s pleasing to see my hard work over the last few years pay off. Jonny and I will obviously travel together on Monday.”

Jonny Burkardt: “Although it was a bit disheartening, the overall result is a satisfactory one. We knew it would be a cagey one since both teams look to remain patient and therefore a lot would depend on second balls. Nobody really managed to get a grip on the game. I felt positive after we took the lead but we then unfortunately were down to 10 come half-time. Despite that, we played well and just weren’t able to hang on to reward ourselves for our efforts in the end. Everyone supporting from the stands deserved to see us win today and I already had goosebumps even during the warm-up. The fans made it a really special occasion. I’m delighted to have been called up by the national team and this time around it’s right away rather than as a replacement for someone who had to pull out of the squad. I am both proud and happy that my development hasn’t gone unnoticed so I’m heading into the international break full of confidence. It speaks for all the others players here at Mainz as well.”

Robin Zentner: “It was tricky today, as we had expected it to be. We did well up until the break and deservedly took the lead. We reorganised at half-time and then gave a disciplined defensive showing in the second period. That being said, we still could have defended some situations better and the 2-2 draw is therefore frustrating. We will not being celebrating this result because we always want to win games. Our quality was once again clear to see today but we obviously would have benefitted from playing with the full 11 on the pitch. I was obviously hoping that I would also be called up to the national side but I can only influence what I do out there in each game, as I looked to do again this afternoon. My club is the most important thing, though, and today was fun to be part of as it was so special for both the club and the city.”