Mainz 05: World Cup driver Edimilson Fernandes would have been sold on offer

Thanks to a performance boost in Mainz for the World Cup

Edimilson Fernandes (26) was suddenly part of the regular staff at Mainz 05 again in the new season. How shortly before a final sale of the top 3 purchase of the 05er, which had been awarded twice in one year, was now made clear by sports director Christian Heidel.

“If someone had called us about Edi in the summer, we would have given him up too,” said Heidel (quoted via “picture“. He stated: “I don’t think we would have gotten even one or two million more.”

Instead, the Swiss even qualified again for a new contract with Rheinhessen. The new working paper at FSV is valid until 2026, for which Fernandes was used in 54 competitive games after his EUR 7.5 million move from West Ham to Mainz. He is “a wonderful role model for the fact that as a player you can come back stronger from phases in which things are not going well for you and in which you have to cope with many setbacks,” said sporting director Martin Schmidt recently after the contract extension. Fernandes can now even show up with the Swiss at the World Cup in Qatar.

Heidel: Ex-striker Szalai “always a warm welcome to Mainz”

Another issue for Heidel was ex-striker Ádám Szalai (34), who had been sorted out at his new club FC Basel and has recently returned to training after a court ruling.

“I think it’s a real shame that it doesn’t seem to have worked well in Basel for long,” Heidel said (via “foosball”) and explained: “Adam is always very welcome in Mainz, but we had contact in no time to bring him back here. It was his decision back then, which we understood and supported. So far we have not given any thought to a return campaign.”

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