Mainz 05 U23 kick off Regionalliga Südwest season with away match
Mainz 05 U23 begin their Regionalliga Südwest season with an away match against FC 08 Homburg. Trainer Benjamin Hoffmann names Homburg as a top contender for promotion.
Strong opening opponent for season start
Hoffmann counts Homburg among the favorites in the promotion race. Other teams like Sandhausen, Ulm, and Freiberg are also considered contenders for top places. For the Mainz U23, the role of challenger will likely become a regular occurrence in many games.
Development remains the focus
As usual for a U23 team, Mainz 05 continues to prioritize the development of young players. The goal is to prepare talents for the next step in professional football, while also creating a cohesive team that is also competitive on the pitch. This was worked on during the training camp in Bludenz.
New signings increase competition
According to the club, several new signings and players from the own U19 have already drawn attention in the preparation. This includes Rael Nakuzola, Daniel Imafidon, Nick Cherny, Smail Kadrijaj, and Alynho Haidara. The twins Mika and Mats Preßler, as well as Dominik Horlbeck, are also mentioned as options. Hoffmann sees the squad as competitive on all positions.
Four absentees before the start
Not available for the season start are Jakob Vött and Tobias Weileder, who are in the build-up training. Also missing are goalkeeper Luke Gauer and defender Luke Rahmann due to injuries in training. Otherwise, Hoffmann can draw from a full squad for his matchday team.
