Richter: “Leave our hearts out on the pitch”

Marco Richter made the move from Hertha BSC to Mainz 05 in August in order to carry on playing top-flight football and avoid being in a relegation battle. At the time, the midfielder had no idea how complicated the project at FSV would initially be, but he is confident that he will soon be on the road to success with his new club. He wants to play an important role in this upturn of form, which he spoke about with the head coach a few days ago. 

On Saturday evening (18:30 CEST), it will be Richter’s ninth attempt to claim all three points against his boyhood club, Bayern, who he played for between 2004 and 2011. Up until now, the 25-year-old has only managed to nab one point off Bayern from a possible 24; in autumn 2019, the then Augsburg player scored in a 2-2 draw with the record champions. Richter was just as unaware of his record against FCB as he was of Mainz’s impressive recent home results against Bayern. “We had a photo shoot on Tuesday in the stadium and Bello told me about our run of victories at home against FCB. Winning three games on the bounce against them is really exceptional. We certainly wouldn’t be disappointed about continuing this streak,” Richter emphasised. He added what the most important factors will be in order to secure the win on Saturday: “Simply sitting back and waiting for them to come at us won’t be an option for the team or the coach. We want to stand up to them, be aggressive and strong, and relentlessly counterattack. It will obviously be vital that we are clinical in front of goal. It’s an evening game, the floodlights will be on, and we’ll be playing on home soil in a sold-out stadium. That’s the sort of atmosphere you dream of as a footballer! I can promise that we will leave our hearts out on the pitch.”

“Simply sitting back and waiting for them to come at us won’t be an option for the team or the coach”

Surprised, but confident

Even the new signing admits that he did not expect Mainz to head into matchday 8 in the penultimate spot in the table. “Having good days and bad days is just part of football. I’m a bit surprised to be perfectly honest. Every 05er had pictured the situation differently after the success of last season. But no one should panic about it, we have a strong team and I’m convinced that we’ll manage to turn things around,” shared Richter, who made an effort to talk to Bo Svensson during the international break. The former Germany U21 international aims to put his all into earning a spot in the starting eleven and helping the team to collect their first three points of the season.

Richter is naturally a bit disappointed with his recent game time, considering that he has only made one start so far this season against VfB Stuttgart. He explained that he’s doing his best in training to prove himself: “I give my best performance and keep my foot on the gas every day, that’s in my blood.” The midfielder added that speaking to Svensson confirmed to him that he’s on the right tracks. How does a meeting with the head coach work? “I said to him: ‘Gaffer, I want to be in the starting eleven, what do I need to do?’” The resulting discussion was “open and honest,” shared the summer newcomer. “He’s happy with my attitude, which is obviously very important. Bo also used video footage to demonstrate his points, explaining what he wants to see from me and what he expects.” He added that it's now up to him to help shape the matches from the offset instead of just taking on a supporting role. “I don’t play football just to sit on the bench, but we have a strong team, so you have to fight to earn a spot. I’m confident that I’ll succeed in doing so. My advisor doesn’t call me resilient for nothing,” Richter chuckled.

“Gaffer, I want to be in the starting eleven, what do I need to do?”

Kept in loose contact

Despite a tough start to life at his new club, Richter still stands by his decision to leave Hertha following their relegation last season in order to pursue a new challenge in Mainz. The attacker and his girlfriend have settled into their new home, recently moving into an apartment together on the other side of the Rhine. He revealed that FSV had expressed their interest before over the years. “Joining Mainz was always a possibility, and we kept in loose contact about their interest, which I welcomed. However, nothing concrete ever materialised from that, which is why I rekindled our communication over the summer. Things quickly turned serious, and I’m proud to get to play here.” It’s a feeling that is certain to grow even stronger over time, as Richter is looking to celebrate his first win with his new club as soon as possible. In order to achieve this, he will – as always – give it everything.