Papela: “I only recognise FSV as Bundesliga contenders”

The youngster had to be patient for a long time. Almost three years passed between his Bundesliga debut on 3rd January 2021 in the 5-2 defeat to FC Bayern München under Jan Siewert, who was the interim coach at the time, and his first starting XI appearance against Heidenheim last December. Papela, who turns 23 on Thursday, gained valuable game time in the fourth division (50 appearances) and spent over a year at second-division side SV Sandhausen (19 games, two goals). Nevertheless, Merveille believes that it was worth the wait: “I’m happy that I kept pushing and it paid off. I feel proud to be a permanent member of the Mainz 05 first team squad."

The midfielder belongs to a generation of players that only know FSV as a Bundesliga side. Papela was just eight years old when the 05ers were promoted in 2009, and the club have not been relegated ever since. “I can’t imagine Mainz 05 in the second division, I only recognise FSV as Bundesliga contenders,” he said in sight of the relegation battle, in which the 05ers will need to put up a fight over the coming months. This should serve as a reminder that a club being primarily regarded as Bundesliga contenders isn’t always a given, but rather a result of hard work and a united team effort both on and off the pitch. Week on week, year on year. However, the Germany youth international does not want to waste too much time dwelling on relegation. Instead, he claims to be “impressed with the quality of our team.” Papela is convinced that: “We managed to stay up for many years and we’ll do it again this time round. In the current phase, it’s important that we don’t get into a panic, but rather keep a cool head and believe in ourselves. If we stay positive, we’ll develop our strengths and self-confidence as a result. That will help every individual and the team as a whole on the pitch.”

Without a doubt, Papela, who moved from TSV SCHOTT Mainz to the youth academy at Bruchweg in 2011, holds FSV very close to his heart. “I associate Mainz and FSV with home and family. I grew up, made friends and went to school here. I got my education at the Bruchweg and have now become a member of the first team. I experienced everything for the first time in the city and with the team,” shared the DFB youth player.

Well-founded confidence in the battle for survival

The fact that the 05ers had to settle for a point in their first competitive game of the year against VfL Wolfsburg doesn’t diminish hopes of survival in any way, according to Papela. “It was the first game in the New Year and there is still a lot of catching up to do. We’re staying optimistic that we’ll continue to make up ground and achieve that together in the second half of the season.” It’s becoming increasingly apparent in training that the process is moving forwards and, from the academy graduate’s point of view, it’s only a matter of time until the penny drops in a game: “We are scoring the goals in training and I’m full of confidence that things will also go smoothly in a game very soon. It’s a process. We need to stick at it, and then we’ll also be rewarded. I think I speak for the whole team when I say that the coach is doing a super job and makes us feel good as players.”

Above all, Papela himself was given not only his Bundesliga debut, but also recently his first start by Jan Siewert. This was a moment that the 22-year-old will never forget. “A dream came true for me,” he said. “I grew up here, was a ball boy at the stadium, and frequently dreamed about being able to play in front of the crowd one day.” This was the reward for hard work, which must now continue in order to stay in the top-flight and to keep on increasing the amount of time he’s getting on the pitch. The next challenge awaits on Friday evening (20:30 CET) when fellow strugglers Union Berlin are the visitors as Mainz kick-off the second half of the season at the MEWA ARENA. “Both teams find themselves in a relegation battle. I’m expecting lots of duels. Of course it will also be important to win as many second balls as possible, to be solid at the back, and to attack at the right moment.”

When he’s in the starting eleven or on the bench, Papela will be buzzing for the upcoming challenge and he will consistently continue along his path. This path is his very own “TheMeyWay”, which is a hashtag that he uses on his social media account and has now explained: “When I was younger and my parents bought me shoes, I named them ‘The Mey Way’. My brother and I came up with the idea and I’ve used “TheMeyWay” as a hashtag on Instagram since then. All it means is simply doing my thing and going into every day with the aspiration of improving.”