Seven current and former Mainz 05 players have been called up to the Germany squad for the upcoming international fixtures. For head coach Urs Fischer, this is clear proof of the Bundesliga club's successful youth development work.
“You have to do a lot of things right for that. It speaks for the youth department,” said the 60-year-old. He noted that it always takes many hands for the development of young talents to ultimately succeed. Alongside current Mainz player Nadiem Amiri, six former 05ers, Finn Dahmen, Hennes Behrens, Ridle Baku, Brajan Gruda, Jonathan Burkardt and Anton Stach, are in national team coach Jürgen Klopp's squad. In total, Mainz have released nine players to various national teams, including some for the U21s. “I think that's great,” Fischer added.
Context before Gladbach match
The positive news comes at a good time, following the team's 1-3 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt on the last matchday. In that game, former Mainz player Jonathan Burkardt even scored for Frankfurt. Despite this, Mainz 05 sit in a solid eighth place in the Bundesliga with four points from three games, claiming a goal difference of 6:3. Before the international break, an away match at bottom-placed Borussia Mönchengladbach awaits on Saturday at 15:30. A win would be an important statement.
The current squad list shows how the team has evolved in recent years, with many of the now-capped internationals coming through the Mainz academy. Developing such players remains a central pillar of the club's philosophy, even if some have since moved on. The team's upcoming schedule can be followed on the fixtures page. Phillip Tietz leads the internal scoring chart with three goals this season. For the trip to Mönchengladbach, however, the side will be without several experienced players including Dominik Kohr and Silvan Widmer.
The report in full is at Bild Sport
