If you want to pinpoint a point at which FSV Mainz 05 has strayed from its path, you will come across November 10, 2019. The leave of absence of the then trainer Sandro Schwarz marks the decisive turning point since the negative spiral at Rheinhessen has been really rapid turns. Although his successor Achim Beierlorzer still managed to stay in the league, the FSV had betrayed its values. Under the impression of a dent in the result, the Mainz team sacrificed a trainer with a stable odor and high identification, instead of navigating through the crisis with professional calm, as they had always successfully practiced in the past. The consequences were ultimately only growing chaos and an accelerated sporting downward trend.
With their new coach Bo Svensson, the zero fives are now practicing the role backwards. It is the Sandro Schwarz 2.0 solution. The Dane knows the club inside out as an ex-professional and coach in the youth field, he is popular in the area and has the Mainz 05 gene.
It is questionable whether that is enough to save a team that is inadequately composed in many areas from relegation – only six points from 14 games are a heavy burden. But Svensson is a man who the fans will forgive for defeat if he can at least succeeds in reviving the typical Mainz virtues that were buried last. And should it actually go back to the 2nd division for the first time since 2007, the 41-year-old would probably have enough credit from fans and those responsible to tackle the necessary rebuilding in the summer. With Mainz values.
© Mannheimer Morgen, Wednesday, January 6th, 2021
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