Urs Fischer Tactics At Mainz 2025/2026: Can Calm Control Fix A Broken Structure? – Tactical Analysis

In the Bundesliga, 1. FSV Mainz 05 have had a very weird trajectory in the last couple of seasons.

Between being caught in the relegation battle, historically bad seasons and European outings, the club has longed for consistency for years.

After a bad start to the season, the team fired Bo Svensson and hired Bo Henriksen as their new coach.

Henriksen is the human version of Danish Dynamite, with a managing style centred on high-intensity counterpressing and an emotional approach to his team.

At first, it worked wonders.

Mainz secured their place in the Bundesliga and even qualified for the UEFA Conference League this past season.

But once again, there is no consistency for the club.

After captain Jonathan Burkardt left the club in the summer for Eintracht Frankfurt, the team struggled and found itself in the relegation battle once again.

With just six points after 12 games, Mainz decided to let go of Henriksen in last place in the Bundesliga table.

Benjamin Hofmann, the manager of their B-team, was appointed interim coach for the game against Borussia Mönchengladbach last Friday, but they also lost.

At the start of this week, the club decided to hire former Union Berlin manager Urs Fischer as its new coach.

In his first game, Fischer drew in the Conference League on Thursday.

The Swiss manager has a very similar playstyle to his predecessors but a much calmer approach.

In this Mainz tactical analysis, we will look at the areas Mainz 05 have struggled in so far this season, the tactical measures Urs Fischer will implement, and whether Mainz have a chance to salvage their season.

Mainz Problems While Building Up

Looking at Mainzs style of play over the last couple of years, the club has focused on a playstyle centred on high intensity, an aggressive counterpress, and fast-paced counterattacks under every coach they have had in that time.

Henriksen was a coach who preferred that style of play as well, and the team was very successful with it over the course of last season.

Especially striker Burkardt and midfielder Nadiem Amiri were doing incredibly well in that system.

Amiri orchestrated every attack and took on a lot of responsibility with the ball, while Burkardt, with his pace, was always making the right runs and scoring a lot of goals for Mainz.

This also meant that the club refused to build up with short passes, and their weakness now comes back to haunt them.

Mainz have played with a back-three for a long time now, and the squad is designed for it, so it will probably not change under Fischer, who also preferred playing with three centre-backs during his time in Berlin.

Looking at the picture, we can see that as well.

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