Coach Bo Svensson’s yellow suspension forces Mainz to improvise in Fürth. Substitute Babak Keyhanfar, however, could also provide a special impetus.
How exactly the 90 minutes in Fürth and the trappings will play out for him, Bo Svensson can’t really assess yet. “We are still sorting out the details,” said the Mainz coach during the matchday press conference on Friday, “on the bus journey we have enough time…”
After four yellow cards, the football coach has to serve a suspension, but – unlike after a possible yellow-red or red card – this only applies to the pure duration of the match. “I am not allowed to actively coach during the game,” is the bottom line for Svensson himself. Before kick-off and during the half-time break, however, he is allowed to adjust his professionals in the dressing room and also maintain contact with co-trainer Babak Keyhanfar during the game, who takes over as the man in charge on the sidelines.
Svensson not only shares a “male friendship” with his long-time assistant, but also the highest professional esteem: “He will also master this task, I have complete confidence in him,” emphasises the Dane and relies not least on the “very good relationship” between his assistant and the team: “I believe that the boys are ready to go through fire for him.
In this respect, the unusual circumstances could even prove to be a selective motivation booster for the 05 pros, who have too often lacked the necessary intensity, especially on foreign grounds: “Unfortunately, you could see in a few away games that we didn’t reach our performance limits,” Svensson also judged, “and that was more down to us than the opponents. There wasn’t that much of what makes us tick. “
Warning against Fürth: “All opponents have had huge problems recently “
And even at the bottom of the table in Fürth, it won’t be enough with the handbrake on, Svensson makes clear. The Franconians can no longer be compared to their form at the start of the season. Instead: “They have only lost one of their last five games, in Dortmund. At home, they’ve won three games to nil. They should have won in Bielefeld as well. All of their opponents have had huge problems recently, so we have a big task ahead of us.” The task is nevertheless linked with the ambition to record the first away win since Matchday 10 (2-1 at second-last Bielefeld).