Last in the Bundesliga, quietly eliminated from the DFB Cup: Mainz 05’s crisis worsened further on Wednesday evening (November 1, 2023). Now coach Bo Svensson (44) has to worry about his job!
Svensson looked stone-faced after the 3-0 defeat at second division Hertha BSC when the inevitable question about his future came. “Other people will decide that anyway,” said the coach on the count after the next bitter setback for FSV Mainz 05. The question marks behind the coach are getting bigger.
Mainz sports director avoids clear commitment to the coach
“We will analyze the game very hard,” announced sports director Martin Schmidt (56) after the 0:3 (0:1) in the catacombs of the Berlin Olympic Stadium and avoided a clear commitment to Svensson: “Bo is sitting on the bench on Saturday, if we can get this analysis moving in the right direction.”
A few days ago it had sounded different. After the 2-2 draw at VfL Bochum, Schmidt gave the coach “100 percent support,” even though Mainz are still waiting for a win after nine Bundesliga match days. The only success of the season came in the meager 1-0 win at SV Elversberg in the first round of the cup.
But after the disappointing performance in the capital, it remains to be seen whether Svensson will survive the “tough” analysis and get another chance to turn things around against RB Leipzig on Saturday (3:30 p.m./Sky). “We want to do it together with Bo,” assured Schmidt, but they “won’t sugarcoat” the game at Hertha. The team also wants to “get out of there with Bo” and the “togetherness” is right.
As if the Bundesliga relegation battle as a winless bottom team and the second round exit in the DFB Cup weren’t enough, the case of Anwar El Ghazi (28) continues to cause unrest off the pitch. According to the club, the Dutchman actually showed remorse after his first anti-Israel post. A few hours before kick-off, the striker, who has since been suspended and was pardoned on Monday, distanced himself from the content of the Mainz press release – and indirectly accused the club of lying.
“This is now being discussed at board level,” said Schmidt and announced a further statement in “the next day or two.” The timing of El Ghazi’s renewed statements was “of course not very fortunate.” However, according to goalkeeper Robin Zentner, the turmoil doesn’t affect the team “at all”: “I have so much to do with the team at the moment to get out of this situation, so I’m not worried about it.”
Because the situation is getting worse and worse. Mainz also put in a harmless performance against the combative Berliners. After the two penalties converted by Fabian Reese (45th + 3) and Haris Tabakovic (50th), there was no reaction, instead Tabakovic (61st) struck again.
“I didn’t see a good performance from my team,” said Svensson. The second half in particular was “not a good signal”. Talking about his future shortly after the “hard blow” made “little sense,” explained the Dane. You first have to “let the game sink in” and “we will discuss everything else internally” – the outcome is open. (sid)
2023-11-02 15:46:18
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