“Thanks to the pigeon”: Mainz players joke after vital win over Werder Bremen | OneFootball

Werder Bremen players were left frustrated after a 2-0 defeat to Mainz 05 in a crucial Bundesliga clash, admitting that lapses in concentration proved costly in the battle for survival.

Mainz struck early and again shortly after halftime to secure three valuable points, punishing two key moments in which the hosts were caught off guard.

“We cannot be so unfocused twice so shortly after kick-off,” Friedl said. “You cannot allow yourself to get distracted, whether it’s because of the pigeon or anything else. That has to improve, and it’s one of the reasons why we are currently down near the bottom of the table.”

Despite controlling large parts of the match, Bremen were unable to turn possession into goals. Midfielder Leonardo Bittencourt felt his team paid the price for their inefficiency in front of goal.

“We didn’t allow that much, but Mainz immediately took advantage of the two situations they had,” Bittencourt explained. “We were too inaccurate in front of goal and couldn’t reward ourselves for our efforts.”

Still, the experienced midfielder urged calm as the season enters its decisive phase.

“We knew this season and the rest of the campaign would be difficult. We don’t need to talk everything down just because it didn’t work well today.”

For Mainz, however, the victory provided a major boost in confidence as they look to move further away from the relegation zone.

Right-back Phillipp Mwene, who delivered the cross for the opening goal, also addressed the unusual moment involving the pigeon that briefly distracted Bremen’s Marco Grüll. “The pigeon was already on the pitch before that,” Mwene said with a smile. “It probably wasn’t the biggest factor for our first goal. But for the distraction in that moment - thanks to the pigeon.”

Beyond the humour, Mwene stressed the importance of the result and Mainz’s growing belief. “We know we have a chance in every game, and we’re going into the rest of the matches with confidence. No goals conceded today, so hopefully it can continue like that.”

Goalscorer Paul Nebel also joked about the incident but emphasised the team’s strong mentality under head coach Urs Fischer.

“The pigeon was a curious scene, but apparently it was a lucky charm today,” Nebel said. “Maybe we should take it back to Mainz with us,” he added with a laugh.

“I think our intensity with and without the ball under Urs Fischer is great. We keep running until the end, we make all the runs that are necessary, and we really throw ourselves into it.”

The midfielder also looked ahead to the return of an important teammate.

“We’re looking forward to when Nadiem Amiri comes back and helps us again. We can’t replace him, but today it worked well without him. Hopefully he’ll be fit again soon—because with him we’re even stronger.”