On the occasion of his indefinite extension as Mainz’s sporting director, Christian Heidel spoke on Thursday about short- to medium-term plans. High on the agenda: the extension with sporting director Martin Schmidt.
He has never formulated goals in terms of league positions, explains Christian Heidel. And a second half of the season like the last one, when Mainz 05 picked up an impressive 32 points, would be “very difficult to achieve again”. But, according to the sports director: “We want to maintain and develop the way of football. Conquering the ball, then going for it, without much fuss – that’s how Mainz became great. And Bo Svensson has implanted this style very well again as coach.” That footballing signature is the one aspect Heidel has in mind when he formulates in very basic terms: “Mainz 05 must become more Mainz 05 again. “
“The most important thing for me is that it always has to be about football. “
CHRISTIAN HEIDEL
The second point is the identification of the surrounding area, the whole city, with the 05ers, which has suffered over the years. This is “not a reproach”, emphasises Heidel, who has been the club’s master builder since 1992, but was temporarily not on board after his move to Schalke 04 from summer 2016 to December 2020. Of course: “Winning people back is more difficult than losing them. The most important thing for me is: it must always be about football, everyone at the club must do everything to ensure that the boys play the best football possible. If that succeeds, we’re all doing well. In this respect, everyone else is a marginal figure. We have to send this awareness out to the outside world again, so that the whole of Mainz is rooting for the team once more. “
“It just fits between Martin, Bo and me “
The “short- and medium-term goals” are outlined in Heidel’s diction, and in terms of the standings, the club has a “good chance of staying away from the drop zone”, i.e. not getting caught up in the relegation battle. Even such a phase is “no disgrace for a club like Mainz 05”. The planned personnel continuity in the ranks of those responsible for the sport is to remain unaffected by this. Head coach Svensson is already committed until 2024, so Heidel now has an open-ended contract.
One of his first official acts after this move will be to discuss the future with sporting director Martin Schmidt, whose current contract expires in the summer of 2022. Heidel confirmed on Thursday: “It is quite clear that I will be sitting down with Martin soon. With the aim of keeping this team together. Because it just fits in this line-up, between Martin and Bo, Martin and me and between Bo and me.” Heidel claims that he himself is “the least important” in this constellation. In terms of day-to-day business, this thesis may even be justifiable in theory. But as the focal point and face of the club, Heidel seems to have long since become irreplaceable again, barely ten months after his return.