Coach Bo Svensson from the Bundesliga soccer club FSV Mainz 05, after just two points from the past five games, has focused on the development of his team over the past year and a half.
“You can ask: Is the bottle half empty or half full, you can ask both questions,” said the Dane before Saturday’s game against champions Bayern Munich (3:30 p.m.).
Despite their recent phase of weakness and the 0: 5 at VfL Wolfsburg last weekend, Mainz go into the remaining three games without relegation worries. “18 months ago,” said Svensson, “the reality was a bit different.” However, looking back at the games so far, he conceded: “You could see over the course of the season that more was possible.”
Svensson had saved Mainz from relegation last season from an almost hopeless situation. Despite all the justified criticism, he now wishes “that people see that the boys have done a lot right this season and are now in a table situation that was hardly imaginable 18 months ago.”
Mainz went into the game against Bayern, which was rather irrelevant from a sporting point of view, “with great anticipation,” said Svensson. “Of course nothing is at stake, but I do believe that it is worthwhile for all spectators to come to the arena. A top team is coming, we are competing against the best, we have something to do well. I find that interesting. “
The Mainz stadium will probably be sold out for the first time since February 1, 2020 – the opponent at the time was: Bayern Munich.