Mainz’s Nadiem Amiri shrugs off incident involving Omonia Nikosia fans: “It’s just football.” | OneFootball

Bundesliga Conference League representatives FSV Mainz 05 celebrated a successful return to European play on Thursday evening. Nearly nine years after playing a Europa League group stage fixture against Azerbaijan’s FK Qäbälä, Germany’s Rheinhessen once again left a European pitch victorious. Mainz eked out a 0-1 away victory over Cypriot Conference League club Omonia Nicosia.

The match proved a very tense and close-knit affair. In the end, a successful penalty-take from Mainz midfield talisman Nadiem Amiri proved the difference-maker. Fans of the hometown team didn’t quite care for the celebration of the guests after Amiri’s 75th-minute conversion. Beer cups rained down from the stands. Mainz striker Ben Bobzien took a receptacle to the neck and play had to be briefly interrupted.

Amiri spoke on the incident in his post-match interview with Germany’s RTL+. The 28-year-old – who has by far more European experience than the rest of his German club teammates – dealt with the matter maturely. The former Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen professional also made sure to thank 1,500 Mainz supporters for making the trip. So too did defender Stefan Bell, the only Mainz player left from the 2016 European adventure.

“You know how football is,” Amiri said of the beer shower. “It’s okay, that’s football. The main thing is that nothing [serious] happened. Of course, it’s not right, but I understand the emotions, I understand the fans. In a way, we all love it. Everyone is healthy, we won, so it’s all good.“

“I’m just proud and grateful for the support,” Amiri said of the large traveling Mainzer contingent that accompanied the team. “The most important thing for us was to give something back to them, because it’s not a given that so many fans would come so far from home on a Thursday evening.”

“It brought back a few memories from back then,” Bell added when reflecting on his time working with Mainz in the Europa League under former head coaches Martin Schmidt and Kasper Hjulmand. “It was an extremely enjoyable game. The atmosphere was great, both from our fans and the home fans. The opponents were really good and played good football.“

GGFN | Peter Weis