Despite a significant European achievement on Monday evening, Mainz 05 manager Urs Fischer maintained his characteristic cautious approach during his pre-match press conference on Friday. The 60-year-old reiterated that his team is still involved in the Bundesliga relegation battle. With 33 points going into the 29th matchday of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season, Mainz still needs at least one more victory or two draws to reach the 35-point “safety threshold.”
Mainz is set to face SC Freiburg, another German team with European success, in the league on Sunday. It’s possible that Fischer’s squad might not secure any points against the in-form Breisgauer. In a recent interview with Kicker Magazine, Fischer stressed that his team had not yet secured their safety from relegation. The Mainz coach made it clear that he still holds this view, even after Mainz’s surprising win and acquisition of three points against Champions League contenders Hoffenheim last weekend.
Urs Fischer on Mainz’s Mentality
“I am far from that opinion,” Fischer stated when asked if his Rheinhessen could begin to celebrate safety. “To look that far ahead and give the lads that impression would simply be wrong. I stand by what I said last week. We are still [arithmetically] in the mix and it is not good enough yet. Sure, the situation has changed a bit, but we are still not out of the woods yet.
“Unfortunately, there is no time to celebrate yet,” Fischer said, looking ahead to their upcoming opponent. “We must take time to sort out our mentality properly. We are facing a very patient, composed, and mature team. Dreams are permitted, but there’s a solid cap on them.“
