Bundesliga architect of change: this man revives clubs | OneFootball

"A relegation battle is never easy. Mainz knows this situation, and even though things have worked out before, that’s no guarantee it will happen again. You have to stay alert. You have to make sure you do your job. Convincing the players of that is now my task," with these words Urs Fischer began his work at Mainz 05 last December. 

At that point, the Zerofivers resembled a pile of rubble: after 13 matches, they had a meager six points to their name. Sitting bottom of the table, Mainz had the league’s worst attack, and only four teams had conceded more goals at that stage. 

But just under five months later, the picture has changed dramatically: 34 points, 10th place, an eight-point cushion over the relegation playoff spot — and even a cautious glance toward Europe is now allowed.

This development clearly bears Fischer’s signature. He has managed to turn an insecure, unstable team into a solid collective that has worked its way out of the relegation battle and into the safety of mid-table. In the second-half table, Mainz sit in a sensational fifth place. The fact they have managed this despite creative focal point Nadiem Amiri being sidelined at times through injury underlines the stable system Fischer and his staff have implemented at Bruchweg. Depending on the outcome of the cup competitions, ninth place could even be enough for Europe in the end.

The secret of success

Fischer’s recipe for success is no magic trick, but pragmatism. He brought his tried-and-tested 3-5-2 formation with him and adjusted Mainz’s style of play. Under him, the focus was much more clearly on defensive organization. He especially got their transition defense — which had still been a problem in the first half of the season — under control. Less risk in buildup, more control of the half-spaces, and at times even brave pressing.

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With winter signings such as Stefan Posch, Phillip Tietz, and Sheraldo Becker, the club’s leadership also provided Fischer with player profiles he had already enjoyed great success with in the past. 

Back in his time at Union Berlin, those players were called Robin Knoche, Kevin Behrens and,  oh yes, Sheraldo Becker, but their profiles and abilities on and off the ball show clear parallels. 

In the second half of the season, the newfound stability proved itself above all in the way Mainz dealt with setbacks. While at the start of the campaign Mainz seemed to fall apart after conceding, Fischer’s team often showed a response in those situations in the latter half of the season. They produced impressive comeback wins against Wolfsburg and Leipzig, for example, and still picked up points after falling behind against Stuttgart, Bayern and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Together with the champions from Munich and Borussia Dortmund, Mainz have the most solid defense in the league in the second half of the season.

Already a hero at Union

The ability to lead a team into the upper reaches of the table primarily through outstanding defensive work is, in that sense, also a trademark of the Swiss coach. It is a feat he had already perfected at 1. FC Union Berlin.

Fischer not only led the Iron Ones into the Bundesliga, but also established them there with a consistency that put many other promoted clubs in the shade. Between 2021 and 2023, Union had one of the league’s three best defenses three seasons in a row; in the 2022/23 campaign, they even conceded the fewest goals in the league alongside Bayern Munich. The crowning achievement was qualification for the Champions League.

The strain of competing on three fronts and a failed transfer policy in the summer of 2023 — when big names like Leonardo Bonucci, Kevin Volland, and Robin Gosens came in and the club sacrificed its distinctly Berlin DNA of collective unity — led them into a dead end. After 14 matches without a win, Fischer voluntarily stepped down in November 2023 in agreement with the club’s leadership at the Alte Försterei.

Even though it was no longer crowned with sporting success in the end, Fischer left Berlin as a hero. At the farewell press conference, Union president Dirk Zingler found moving words: "I only recently made it very clear that Urs Fischer is an outstanding coach, and I remain absolutely convinced of that. His personality and his successful work have shaped our club in recent years and opened up many new possibilities for us. Over these five and a half years of working together, respect and trust developed between us."

After a break, Fischer is now back and proving once again in Mainz what his greatest strength is: he can positively transform clubs and their playing systems without bending the club’s character out of shape. He is the calm center in an often hectic business.

In Mainz, he has once again turned an insecure team into a united unit that gets on opponents’ nerves through compactness and discipline. Fischer is the clear savior of Mainz’s season, even if he himself would probably reject that label with a modest smile and a reference to the team. But the facts do not lie: wherever Urs Fischer works, something stable grows. He is the man for complicated cases, the architect who turns ruins back into fortresses. 

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

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