“TEAMWORK” IN SQUAD PLANNING

At the end of a season, attention typically quickly shifts to next season, the same is also the case this season. Even with the Zerofivers squad taking a well-earned holiday before returning to training on 2nd July, planning is already well underway for the 2022/23 season. Although squad planning happens 365 days a year, it will be dealt with a bit more intensively in the next few days, stated head coach Bo Svensson. He added that conversations with new signings are already underway, but otherwise Svensson, sporting director Martin Schmidt and director for sports and communications Christian Heidel, who celebrated his 60th birthday on Friday, were in agreement that this is a fairly relaxed period.

Action needed at left-back and in goal

"Development and moving the club forward is often reduced to what happens on the pitch, to which players we buy or sell on," said Schmidt, who wants to move beyond this narrow view. He suggested that development is also about further developing colleagues, in terms of performance and match analysis for example, in order to improve the squad’s athletic performance. "As a fact, the whole team is healthy, apart from a few who have been injured for a long time which you always have. We invested an unbelievable amount in the sports science department and in areas that you don’t notice too much but that affect performance," said Schmidt.

Schmidt added that if you have a lot of money you can afford to be wrong occasionally, a position that Mainz are not in. "We use what we have very selectively," said Mainz’s sporting director, who hopes that the transfer of Aarón’s replacement at left-back will be as successful as winter new signings Ludovic Ajorque and Andreas Hanche-Olsen. He added that conversations with Heidel and Svensson will heat up in the coming weeks in order to improve the squad in certain positions where they consider it necessary to bring players in.

As well as at left-back, the situation has also changed in goal, with Finn Dahmen leaving to join FC Augsburg. Heidel suggested that the club are not looking at a very specific profile of player as his replacement. "If they fit into our goalkeeping group then they could be 25 or 33," explained Heidel. Considering Lasse Rieß and his development, the tendency is towards bringing in a new goalkeeper who is slightly older. "We are relatively open, but it has to be someone who will maybe accept being the number three as well. The better of the two will then be on the bench, as long as Robin Zentner keeps playing well."

Wait and see if the phone rings

Otherwise, Schmidt said you have to react to inquiries. "We will work as a team to move in the right direction here and will draw the correct conclusions from the season," said Schmidt. Heidel added that they are relaxed about doing business and will first wait to see if the phone rings. At the same time, they have a good relationship with the player’s agents and are always up to date, "but also with them the phone rings from time to time," said Mainz’s director for sport and communications.

Schmidt suggested that after Karim Onisiwo’s contract extension, as well as with Ajorque, Marcus Ingvartsen, Jonny Burkardt ("who will definitely come back") and young talents Nelson Weiper and Brajan Gruda as well as Marlon Mustapha and Delano Burgzorg, the attack is as well stocked as it's been in a long time. "We don’t necessarily need to be active in that area," said Schmidt.

Always changes to the market

Instead, in a squad with "22 plus X" players there will always be players who fall behind in terms of playing time. "Then a player has to consider how big the chance is that he will play more next season," said Heidel. Svensson is there to give his assessment to the players of their opportunities for the coming season, while Heidel and Schmidt discuss these things with agents. But they are not chasing anyone out of the club. "You also need players who are on the bench or sitting in the stands." Heidel suggested that at the end of the day it is about having a functioning squad.

After 32 years working in football, he sees the idea of the squad being exactly the same for the first training session of next season in about a month as unrealistic. "That has never happened," laughed the born-Mainzer, suggesting that the market is always changing, in England, for example, transfers start at the beginning of July.

No one is unsellable; no one has to be sold

Leandro Barreiro and Jae-sung Lee, who Svensson described as important players, are currently expected to be part of the Zerofivers squad for the coming season, however Heidel doesn’t want to count anything out. No players at Mainz 05 are unsellable, but there is no on that they have to sell, according to the 60-year-old. Currently they are not in any conversations with other clubs or agents about possible departures but that can change quickly and then they will have to consider it. "It is important to us that we have a good season," said Heidel. He stated the sometimes the club can say "no" and then lose a player the following summer on a free transfer. "It is never our wish, but sometimes we can let that happen."