FSV Mainz 05 Tryouts & Club Guide: History, Stadium, Players, and More!

Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05, is a German sports club, founded in 1905 and based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. The club competes in the Bundesliga, the top flight of German football.

FSV Mainz 05 Youth Development System

In the youth department of 1. FSV Mainz 05, over 200 children and young people have a sporting home. A total of eleven teams from the U9 to the U23 in the Regionalliga Südwest are registered for the game.

Trained by licensed trainers, the young footballers develop both athletically and personally in the 1. FSV Mainz 05 performance center year after year. The training center is located on the site at the Bruchweg Stadium, where the heart of the club continues to beat. Once a year, the MINI-KICKER-DAYS take place there as the official viewing days of the youth department. 

The head of the youth training center, Volker Kersting, is responsible for the department. Jan Siewert holds the position of junior head coach. The educational director Jonas Schuster coordinates the areas of school and training. The junior teams in the basic area of ​​U8 – U11 are coordinated by Marco Usai, and Stefan Hirschberg is responsible for the development area of ​​U12 – U16 as the sporting director. Marvin Kilian is responsible for the rehabilitation and athletic training and the sports science concept. Moritz Hirmke is the sports psychologist at the youth training center. Petra Ploch manages the tournament participation of the 05 junior teams, general administrative tasks are done by Anke Bos. Bartosch Gaul and co-trainer Simon Pesch, who is assisted by Marco Aumüller as a team manager, are the coach of the highest U23 training team and at the same time the interface between the youth performance center and the professional team. The entire team of trainers and supervisors at the young talent center comprises more than 60 employees.

All teams of the Minimainzer play at the highest possible level, the teams up to U12 usually compete in games with older age groups. Divided into three performance levels, the young footballers are offered systematic and age-appropriate training. The Minimainzers move in the basic area (U9 – U11), take their first steps in terms of movement, coordination and football technique. The focus here is on having fun while exercising.

Our juniors in the advanced level will then already have their first experiences in football behind them. The teams from U12 to U16 mainly practice technical and tactical elements and deepen the soccer game. But despite all the ambition, even at this age, not only the performance or the result is looked at. The little 05ers should continue to pursue their favorite sport without a care – and compete with the best in their age range. The build-up area at 1. FSV Mainz 05 ensures a gentle transition from pure hobby sport to the performance area in B and A youth.

That’s why the little 05ers don’t mind training in the performance teams four to five times a week and compete in the highest classes in their age ranges. The physical challenge increases steadily – the highlight is then the requirement in the A-Junioren-Bundesliga. The U19 juniors train under professional conditions. But despite the increased focus on performance, the youth makers pay particular attention to the personal development of the kickers. An apprenticeship or a school leaving certificate must be completed. Only then will (almost) nothing stand in the way of the football professional’s great dream. After all, as members of the U23 squad, the players should have laid the foundation for their later life at the latest when they join the “interface” between the professional and youth departments.

YOUNG TALENT CONCEPT

Overall Concept

In the past, too, the 1. FSV Mainz 05 has repeatedly produced young players who could be integrated into their own professional team. Manuel Friedrich, Sandro Schwarz, Mimoun Azaouagh and Christian Demirtas can be named here as examples.

Since 2000, however, the framework for youth work in Germany, but also in our association, has changed significantly. After the poor performance of our national team at the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship, the DFB and DFL have obliged all professional clubs in the 1st and 2nd league to maintain a performance center for youngsters with certain requirements in order to optimize the quality of their junior training. In addition, due to the fact that our professional team belonged to the Bundesliga from 2004 – 2007 and since 2009, the financial framework for training work in our club has also changed significantly. The importance of youth work as an investment in the future is permanently recognized in our association.

Since 2005, three artificial turf pitches, three new training turf areas, a technical course and the youth center for A and B juniors have been created on the area around the Bruchweg Stadium. Additional training and playing areas were created in 2019 on the railing behind the former north stand of the Bruchweg Stadium. In addition, the junior office and with it office and training rooms for the junior coaches have been relocated to the main grandstand of the Bruchweg Stadium since 2012, the former boxes are now used as lounges for our junior players, for tutoring and homework supervision, but also for meetings and video analysis. In addition, the social pedagogues and the sports psychologist now have their own rooms for discussions.

The improved infrastructure and appropriately qualified staff in the junior performance center with special trainers, video analysts, the medical department and other employees have sustainably increased the quality of the training of our junior players. There is a training plan that acts as a “red thread” for all trainers and ensures that the training units are carried out in a way that is appropriate for their age and that builds on one another. The possibility of accommodating talents in the Kolpinghaus football boarding school made it possible to expand the catchment area for our youngsters. The close cooperation with two elite schools of football (IGS Mainz-Bretzenheim and Elly-Heuss-Schule Wiesbaden) as well as the component sponsorship group for training contribute to the fact that the school and

In addition, medical care is guaranteed at a very good level thanks to the cooperation with the Mainz University Medical Center and the daily presence of physiotherapists in the junior performance center. In the social area, the cooperation with the schools, especially the elite schools, is coordinated by a full-time social pedagogue who is also available as a contact for players and parents in case of school problems. Supplementary school measures such as homework supervision, tutoring and follow-up lessons are organized by the association if required, from 2 p.m. at the Bruchweg Stadium, the junior players can use the care rooms in the former boxes. The social pedagogue is supported in individual care by another social pedagogue and social worker in a part-time job. Sports psychological support is also guaranteed with a full-time sports psychologist.

All in all, these individual modules form a framework for the training that represents the highest level nationwide. This is manifested in the assessment of the certification initiated by the DFB and DFL in the junior performance centers from 2008 to today, in which we received the highest possible rating with three stars. With the German championship title of the A-Juniors in 2009 and the promotion of U19 coach Thomas Tuchel to head coach of the professionals (2009-2014), this development in terms of content was impressively documented in public. André Schürrle, Jan Kirchhoff, Stefan Bell, Christian Mathenia, Mario Vrancic, Shawn and Devante Parker, Florian Müller, Robin Zentner, Ridle Baku, 

Due to its structure and size, the core business of 1. FSV Mainz 05 will always be the “education and training” of young players. In addition, the development of your own staff, especially the trainers, is a major issue. These processes are based on the know-how that has grown over the years, as the basis for the development of the association over the past two decades. We always want to work with the highest professionalism in terms of content, but still maintain the very family atmosphere in our association.

From our point of view, this is an optimal platform for the development of junior players and coaches. The “installation of home grown” or the transfer of own junior players to the 1st and 2nd team also increases the identification with the club and the fans. The talents from the region should be spotted at an early stage and emotionally bound to the club so that they can then be integrated at the right time. The network of our partner clubs as well as the good contact and good cooperation with the DFB bases are of great importance. Another component of our promotion is the permeability between the individual teams, so that the junior players are integrated into the team, in which they can be optimally challenged and promoted. After passing through the junior teams, the U23 in the Regionalliga Südwest forms an optimal framework for completing the training. The junior players get the final “polish” here over a period of usually two years and are introduced to the license squad via the highest training team.

For the current level of training, not only the successes of the individual junior teams, but also the number of current selected players are evidence. Several current DFB U national players and a large number of SWFV selection players show that we are on the right track here too. The nominations fill us with pride and also document the good partnership with the DFB and SWFV.

FSV Mainz 05 Training

We take a holistic approach in the training of our junior players. In addition to the athletic development of the talents, we focus on school and professional training. By working together with two elite football schools and our training sponsorship group, we try to create an optimal framework for combining school / training and sport. It is of the utmost importance to us that our young players do not neglect their academic and professional careers. In case of doubt, school-based training has priority in our concept. Another part of our training is of course the imparting of social and ethical values ​​to our youngsters in order to shape and develop their personality.

We try to transfer the special atmosphere in the club, in which mistakes are forgiven if you have given everything, to the sporting and non-sporting area and thus think we have an optimal platform for the training of junior players. This approach promotes identification with the goals of the association in terms of the overall Mainz 05 project. The framework for our training is shaped by the idea of ​​fair play and respectful interaction in the club, with the opponent and the referee. 

Guidelines

The guidelines of our training can be summarized as follows:

High quality sports training is guaranteed by:

• A uniform training and play philosophy
• Predefined training content that is tailored to the age and that builds on one another
• a high quality of trainers
• Special and support training units
• Specialized and differentiated performance diagnostics
• Daily medical care
• Support for rehabilitation and regeneration
• Close cooperation with the DFB, regional association and DFB bases.

We focus on school and professional training parallel to sporting development. We ensure optimal compatibility through:

• Cooperation with two elite football schools:
• Integrated comprehensive school Mainz-Bretzenheim
• Elly-Heuss-Schule Wiesbaden and the associated network system
• A daily offer of homework support
• Follow-up and tutoring if necessary
• Mediation of training and internship positions through the training partners in the training support group
• The possibility of accommodation in the Kolpinghaus boarding school
• The intensive and trusting cooperation with associations and other institutions.

The conveyance of social and ethical values (= development of personality) is just as important to us as the sporting, school and professional content . In this area, of course, there are specialists such as social pedagogues and sports psychologists available, but the training mandate applies to all NLZ employees, especially the coaching staff, who of course have a role model function.

When it comes to ethical and social values, we think in particular of:

• Instructions on discipline and appropriate behavior
• Education for independence
• Strengthening self-confidence
• Guide to fair play
• Development of team spirit
• Positive mentality and willingness to perform
• Introduction to a lifestyle suitable for athletes
• Open and trusting communication
• Development of emotional intelligence (perceiving and understanding emotions).

FSV Mainz 05 Training Goals

The top priority in the promotion of young talent at 1. FSV Mainz 05 is the optimal individual sporting promotion of the young players and their introduction to the requirements of professional football. Of course, it is also of equal importance to us that our junior players can achieve a school or professional qualification and develop their personality parallel to their sporting education. The entire work in the youth training center (NLZ) is subordinate to these overarching goals. All NLZ employees are committed to these goals. The framework conditions are geared towards the optimal compatibility of the overarching goals.

In sports training, the focus is on the long-term individual development of young players, especially taking into account their level of biological development, and has priority over short-term team successes. Despite all the individuality, the team spirit should not be neglected. In the team, the players learn elementary behavior in the group and team spirit is ultimately an important criterion for us in developing talent. The training units are age-appropriate and building on each other thanks to the common thread of the training plan. The individual development is accompanied by an individualized training control based on performance diagnostic data collection. Special and special training measures (support training, elite training U11 – U14, Elite training units with the professional trainer team, position training and strength / weakness training) are offered and carried out in order to develop the players according to their individual profile and to take account of the increased individualization. In addition, there is great permeability between the teams, the talents are integrated into the teams in which they can be optimally challenged and promoted.

The yardstick for the work of the youth performance center is of course the placements of our teams and the nominations for the DFB and SWFV selection teams. The most important criterion for the evaluation of our work, however, is the number of players who are integrated into the 1st and 2nd teams every year from the junior division. Here the NLZ has set itself the goal of transferring at least 5 players to the squad of the 1st or 2nd team each season.

In order to achieve this numerical goal, the following framework is essential:

• The greatest talents in the region should play and train at Mainz 05. A close-knit talent search is essential for this.
• The teams should play in the highest leagues if possible in order to offer an optimal platform for individual development. Successful competition is part of our training.
• The trainers and their behavior are the key to successful work in our NLZ, which is why the further education and training of our trainer team is of immense importance to us.
• We try to continuously optimize the framework conditions to ensure an optimal compatibility of school / training and competitive sport.
• We support our players in their personal development through joint measures and appropriate specialist staff.

Of course, the 1. FSV Mainz 05 is constantly striving to improve the framework conditions for training. The following further measures are being planned:

• Creation of additional training areas on the training grounds at the Bruchweg Stadium
• Construction of a technology and coordination course on the training grounds
• Construction of a second weight room at the Bruchweg Stadium
• Further expansion of social support and sports psychological support.

FSV Mainz 05 Training Principles

The top priority in the promotion of young talent at 1. FSV Mainz 05 is the optimal individual support of the young players and their introduction to the requirements of the professional field. This is paramount and this is the goal that all employees of the youth training center have committed themselves to. In order to achieve this objective, the following training principles are binding:

• The individual long-term development of the junior players takes precedence over the short-term team success
• The training is carried out in accordance with the defined and periodic focus of the training plan (“red thread”)
• The implementation of the training units and the approach is based on age and development
• The game preparation takes place within the framework of the common game philosophy
• The goals of the game are defined independently of the opponents, which means that our teams try to enforce “their game”
• The common coaching vocabulary is used and facilitates communication
• A victory is only a success if it was achieved through fair play
• The promotion of team spirit to form an intact team structure as a framework for individual development is important
• The players should gain as much experience as possible in different playing positions, a targeted specialization only takes place from U16
• An even distribution of the game components in the basic and advanced areas is guaranteed
• The optimal promotion of talents is guaranteed by the permeability between the years
• Positive coaching with praise and positive confirmation is used to strengthen the personality
• The trainers provide assistance and thus leave room for your own independent decisions and problem solving
• There is a respectful interaction between players, coaches, supervisors and other staff as well as with opponents and referees
• The junior players receive accompaniment and support in school, training and their personal development
• The young people are led to a realistic situation and self-assessment
• The players are instructed in “conscious training” and “careful handling of their own body”.

FSV Mainz 05 BOARDING SCHOOL

Football boarding school of 1. FSV Mainz 05

An important component in the youth development concept of 1. FSV Mainz 05 is the cooperation with the Kolping House in Mainz. Since the 2006/2007 season, 1. FSV Mainz 05 has been offering boarding school accommodation in downtown Mainz to selected junior footballers who cannot reasonably be expected to commute due to the scope of training and the distance from their place of residence to Mainz. For the youth work of 1. FSV Mainz 05, this is another important component to enable young athletes to optimally combine school or training and competitive sport.

The Kolping House Mainz

The Kolpinghaus Mainz is a residential, leisure and educational facility for young people. Young people live here who have found a school or apprenticeship position in Mainz or who attend the supraregional specialist classes at the vocational school or the supra-company courses of the Rheinhessen Chamber of Crafts. Those who cannot go home every day due to their training need more than a “roof over their head”. The Kolpinghaus Mainz sees itself as an institution that enables youth-friendly living and life within the framework of educational support.

You can find more information about the Kolping House Mainz here .

FSV Mainz 05 Academy Recruitment & Trials

TALENT SCOUTING

The framework conditions and the content of the training in the junior performance center of 1. FSV Mainz 05 offer talented and performance-oriented junior players an ideal platform to get closer to their dream of professional football step by step. Sporty talent, which means for us a gift for movement paired with speed and pronounced technical basic skills, as well as the appropriate mentality and willingness to perform, are the basic requirements for admission to our NLZ.

Observing, assessing and evaluating these qualities is the yardstick for integration into our NLZ, but also a permanent process that runs through the entire training.

The first team in the NLZ is founded in the U9. For this purpose, 4-6 “trial training units” take place throughout the year, for which the players can register via the Internet. In addition, our perspective team starts in the U8 age group with weekly support training. The first major inspection measures of the NLZ are the “MINI-KICKER-DAYS”, which take place annually in June. Here, junior players of the age ranges U8 / U9 can experience a training day at Mainz 05 after registering themselves and recommend themselves for a team of Minimainzer. In the age range U10 / U11, the selection process for the sports classes of the two elite football schools (Integrated Comprehensive School Mainz-Bretzenheim and Elly-Heuss-Schule Wiesbaden) is an important part of the selection process.

From this age on, there is also the systematic screening of talented junior players in the regional area of ​​Mainz via our regional scouts. Our scouts visit games and training units in their classified viewing areas, thereby gaining an overview of the talents’ capabilities. In the age ranges U12 – U14, the DFB bases are an important point of contact for our scouts, the viewing radius will be expanded to approx. 100 km around Mainz. Our scouts have a good network through their diverse activities in their regional areas, so that we know every talented player in the Mainz region.

Uniform criteria for viewing are defined for targeted observation and evaluation. In addition to this and through regular exchange, there are binding regulations for the viewings and a clear requirement profile for the talents. All viewing activities are recorded in the NLZ database and are available to those responsible for decision-making. If you are suitable and interested at the same time, it must be decided together in discussions with the talents or their parents when the optimal time is for integration into the youth training center. In individual cases, this can also mean that junior players are recommended to stay in their region and, if necessary, to receive coordinated training content on site through integration into junior teams of our partner clubs and to remain in the focus of Mainz 05 through regular training visits At this point, the close cooperation with the partner associations is of great importance.

When sighting top national talent, there is also the idea of ​​preserving the regional connection, so that basically only up to a distance of 250 km from Mainz is sighted. These screening measures also begin in the U14 age range (with the first selection measures), but boarding school accommodation according to our principles only comes into consideration from the U16 age group. In these cases in particular, early contact and the associated creation of an emotional level is perhaps the decisive factor.

Sighting measures

The NLZ’s inspection measures at a glance:

• “Trial training units” for the formation of a U8 team
• Open and closed talent sightings U8 / U9
• Screening of talents through the selection process of the sports classes at the elite schools IGS Bretzenheim and EHS Wiesbaden (U10 / U11)
• Viewing events of the partner clubs (U8 – U14)
• Systematic screening of talents in the regional environment in the age range U10 – U12 (up to 50 km), in particular via the DFB bases (from U12)
• Systematic screening of talents in the regional environment in the age range U13 – U15 (up to 100 km), especially via the DFB bases
• Sighting of national top talent within a radius of basically a maximum of 250 km in the age range U14 – U21 (there is no nationwide sighting in order to maintain the regional reference).

FSV Mainz 05 Partner Clubs

Through continuous work and serious business, the 1. FSV Mainz 05 has acquired a considerable reputation on the national football level – in particular, of course, through being a member of the Bundesliga from 2004-2007 and since 2009. The established professional structures and the positive image are the basis for the further development of the club in the coming years. The cooperation model with partner associations is another building block in this development. By cooperating with partner clubs in the region, the 1. FSV Mainz 05 tries to make an active contribution to intensifying the promotion of talent in the local clubs. With targeted support services from the professional club, the quality of football training is to be increased across the board. The cooperation also serves to exchange sporting experiences between the partners, so that a corresponding network is created within a radius of approx. 100 km around Mainz. The 1. FSV Mainz 05 has the function of the central cooperation partner who exchanges corresponding services with the partners. At Mainz 05 there is a contact person for club partnerships in Peter Schlaad. He takes on the organization and implementation of joint measures and events and serves as direct contact to Mainz 05 for those responsible at the partner clubs. FSV Mainz 05 has the function of the central cooperation partner who exchanges corresponding services with the partners. At Mainz 05 there is a contact person for club partnerships in Peter Schlaad. He takes on the organization and implementation of joint measures and events and serves as direct contact to Mainz 05 for those responsible at the partner clubs. FSV Mainz 05 has the function of the central cooperation partner who exchanges corresponding services with the partners. At Mainz 05 there is a contact person for club partnerships in Peter Schlaad. He takes on the organization and implementation of joint measures and events and serves as direct contact to Mainz 05 for those responsible at the partner clubs.

1. FC Meisenheim

1. FC Meisenheim has been a partner club of 1. FSV Mainz 05 since November 15, 2008.

The cooperation includes, among other things, the opportunity for talented junior players from the partner club to participate in training units of 1. FSV Mainz 05, regular friendly matches for junior teams up to U23 as well as advanced training events for junior coaches of 1. FC Meisenheim and the opportunity to sit in on training in the junior performance center of the 05er. A total of 23 youth teams with around 500 children benefit directly from the cooperation, 10 teams from the 05er and 13 from the Meisenheim / Desloch-Jeckenbach play community. The first joint campaigns took place in advance, the U12 juniors from Bruchweg were invited to a training camp in Meisenheim in the summer.

Wormatia worms 

1. FSV Mainz 05 and VfR Wormatia Worms have been officially entering a joint future in the junior sector based on partnership since 2008. 

The contract was signed by Christian Heidel (Manager Mainz 05) and Jürgen von Massow (Chairman Wormatia Worms).

The aim of the cooperation is to strengthen youth work across the board. It includes, among other things, the opportunity for talented junior players from the partner club to participate in training units of the 1. FSV Mainz 05, regular friendly matches for the junior teams as well as advanced training events for junior trainers of the VfR Wormatia and the opportunity to sit in on training in the junior performance center of the 05er. 24 youth teams with around 500 children benefit directly from the collaboration.

Sportfreunde Eisbachtal

Sportfreunde Eisbachtal and 1. FSV Mainz 05 signed an agreement in January 2010 in front of around 350 visitors in the premises of Holzland Jung in Weroth with the aim of working closely together in the youth sector in the future.

The then 05 professional player Andre Schürrle rounded off the signing of the contract with an autograph session.

“We want to offer a structure that is as permeable as possible for talents from Eisbachtal to Mainz and vice versa,” said Stefan Hofmann, who was the sports director of the youth performance center at the time and who is now president of Mainz 05, when he signed the contract.

VfB Marburg

The 05er and the “Schimmelreiter” have been official cooperation partners in the youth sector since January 2011:

Football Bundesliga team 1. FSV Mainz 05 and Hessen league team VfB 1905 Marburg have been following a common path in the youth field ever since. This is the content of an agreement that was officially sealed in a ceremony on Wednesday, January 12, 2011 in the VW car dealership Boese + Born in Marburg.

The cooperation includes, among other things, the opportunity for talented junior players from the partner club to participate in training units of the 1. FSV Mainz 05, regular friendly matches for junior teams up to U23 as well as advanced training events for junior trainers of VfB 1905 Marburg and the opportunity to sit in on training in the junior performance center of the 05er.

Unicorn Soccer Academy

The 05er and the Unicorn Soccer Academy have been official cooperation partners in the youth sector since January 2013:

With the Unicorn Soccer Academy of the former youth national player Sebastian Schächter as the first independent partner, the youth performance center of FSV Mainz 05 is expanding its cooperation concept not only regionally, but also in terms of content. Since 2010, the Unicorn Soccer Academy has been imparting sporting and social skills through a large number of innovative training courses and has now supplemented the work in the football clubs far beyond Pirmasens. For Mainz 05, the partnership means a significant “expansion of the sighting and scouting network in the Palatinate and Saarland. In the past, the Unicorn Soccer Academy was able to place some talented players in youth training centers. Through targeted sighting measures,

DJK SV Phönix Schifferstadt

The 05er and the DJK SV Phönix Schifferstadt have been official cooperation partners in the youth sector since February 2014:

Stefan Hofmann, the sporting director of the youth performance center, is certain that with the new partner Phönix at his side, he will be able to expand the talent scouting network in a meaningful way and at the same time further promote talent development on site.

As one of the largest amateur soccer clubs in the southwest of Rhineland-Palatinate, Phönix Schifferstadt has developed into a real center for regional talent development with excellent youth work. Hofmann and Thomas Fetzer, 1st chairman of Phönix, expect the cooperation to further increase the attractiveness of the club for talented youth players from the area.

JFV Rhein-Hunsrück

The 05er and the JFV Rhein-Hunsrück have been official cooperation partners in the youth sector since November 2016:

The JFV Rhein-Hunsrück has set itself the goal of introducing young talents to the first team of the respective home clubs in the region through special children’s futsal training and their own young talent teams.

“The JFV Rhein-Hunsrück convinced us on the one hand with its good and comprehensible concept, but on the other hand also with the very good practical implementation. This is proven by the club’s teams in the game as well as the talented players who have found their way to major youth training centers, ”said Stefan Hofmann, the sports director of the Mainz NLZ at the time. 

FSV Mainz 05 Academy News

Please come back to this page while we monitor for more recruitment and trial information or click here to visit their official news webpage for the most up-to-date information.

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Stadium

The Opel Arena, also known as the 1. FSV Mainz 05 Arena due to UEFA sponsorship requirements, is a multi-purpose stadium that was opened in July 2011 in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is stylised as OPEL ARENA. Football games are played there, including those that are played at home by Mainz 05, who compete in the Bundesliga in Germany.

The previous stadium on the Bruchweg, known as Stadion am Bruchweg, has been replaced with this one, which has a total capacity of 34,034, with 19,700 seats. As a result of a sponsorship agreement with COFACE, the stadium was first known as the Coface Arena. In accordance with the terms of a naming rights agreement with Opel, the venue was given its current name in July of 2016.