Henriksen: "We have to win" | OneFootball

Mainz's Bo Henriksen ahead of final day of the season: "We have to win"

Mainz are on the verge of European qualification as we head into the final day of the 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign. Ahead of their crucial clash against Bayer Leverkusen, bundesliga.com sat down with head coach Bo Henriksen to discuss the game as well as his time with the 05ers so far.

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bundesliga.com: Last season, you described every game in the relegation battle as a final. Now, you have one left to secure European football. How does that feel?

Bo Henriksen: "It's a fantastic feeling to be involved with a club like this, where there is something to play for in the last game of the season. At the beginning of the campaign, we lost three of our key players. But again, it's been unbelievable the way the guys here have developed. It's been fun, and we have beaten all kinds of club records in the last year. We are proud to have this last game to try and earn a spot in European football. This is a really, really enjoyable moment for us.”

bundesliga.com: A win against Bayer Leverkusen in Xabi Alonso's final game as head coach will get the job done. What are your thoughts ahead of the match?

Henriksen: "I think they will put out their best team, and they will want to a good last impression. It will be a fun game, but we have to win. They have absolutely nothing to lose in that sense, so it's going to be a game with a lot of intensity. I also think there will be great atmosphere in the stands, and I think the fans will go crazy and do everything they can for us. I'm really, really looking forward to this game and I'm really happy that the players get an experience like this because they deserve it. I have goosebumps right now because it will be the final act of an enjoyable season and one we can be really, really proud of.”

bundesliga.com: From day one at Mainz, you have appeared relaxed. To what extent is this cheerfulness important for you as a coach?

Henriksen: “It's not the most important thing, it's just about being yourself. You have to dare to be yourself. I'm lucky in many ways, and I think positively about most things. I also believe in people and in making relationships. If I'm myself and I dare to be myself, people can trust who I am and what I'm saying. What I really want is everybody to be the best version of themselves. It doesn't matter if you're a starter or you don't play; it doesn't matter to me. For me, it's the whole club and the whole surrounding that is important. All in all, I think it's important to dare to be yourself in any aspect of life and also especially in football. Because when you're authentic, you get a lot of things out of people that they probably didn't expect."

bundesliga.com: Would you say this club is a perfect fit for you?

Henriksen: "Yes, it's brilliant here. It's a working-class place where you know your place in the system. You have to work harder than everybody else. And that's what I want. I want everybody to do their best every day in training. I want everybody to work as hard as they can. And if they don't, then I'm not happy. That means our philosophies match up well. It also helps a lot with the direction that this club is going, as well as my relationship with (Christian) Heidel. That is really, really important to me, that we have an understanding where we can be honest to each other."

bundesliga.com: How did you adapt to the city of Mainz, where the inhabitants have a special zest for life?

Henriksen: "I don’t know, but I love to live here. It's a fantastic city, and it's a beautiful place. I've seen a lot of things, such as Karneval. There's so many festivities all the time - for example, every Saturday morning, they drink wine in the city center, although I've never been there because it's always on game day. I love this place because people are happy and enjoying life. But I think that many, many places in Germany are beautiful - I have visited many cities now and I think it is a beautiful country."

bundesliga.com: You are quite passionate on the sideline. How important is it for you to show emotions?

Henriksen: “It's not easy for everybody, but it is a bit easier for me. I think everybody just has to be themselves. I'm not perfect - ask my wife! But I'm good at being myself, and I think that is important because then people can do whatever they want. I don't judge anybody. I'm just here and I'm doing a job, I'm doing my best and I want everybody to feel that."

bundesliga.com: You preiously worked at Midtjylland, a club in your homeland that places a lot of emphasis on data-based work and strategy. How important does that contribute to your work in Mainz?

Henriksen: “At Midtyjlland, the stats were really, really, really important. The For me, football is also about calculation. It helps us estimate where the ball is going to fall down, what can we do a little bit better, how many percentages can be changed if we make a throw-in forward instead of backwards and so on. For example, here we try to take a throw-in within seven seconds, because there's a bigger possibility that we keep the ball if we do so. Also, we don't want to shoot from outside 25 yards too often. One or two players can do that, such as Nadiem (Amiri) but for most others, it doesn't make any sense. We use a lot of statistics, especially in pre-season. To perform their best and to make the right decisions at the right time. Overall, these are just small, small, small details, which are really, really important to win football games as well.”

bundesliga.com: What are your career goals as a coach?

Henriksen: "It's important to be curious. If you're curious, I think everything will come to you. I believe in fate. I knew that one day I would get a fantastic chance. And now I'm here, I love every day. Now, I just want to be better, and whatever happens, happens."

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