Crisis club brings in Bo Henriksen
Mainz 05 is relying on Danish success when choosing a coach
February 13, 2024, 10:54 a.m
A Dane with the first name Bo: There is a sense of déjà vu to be experienced at 1. FSV Mainz 05. The new coach of the relegation-threatened Bundesliga club is called Bo Henriksen. He comes from Zurich and succeeds the dismissed Jan Siewert. Bo Svensson only resigned in November.
1. FSV Mainz 05 has presented its new coach: Bo Henriksen is taking over the men’s professional team of the Bundesliga club, which is in serious danger of relegation. The Dane trained FC Zurich until last weekend. The 49-year-old succeeds Jan Siewert, who was fired on Monday. Henriksen has a contract until 2026.
Sports director Christian Heidel said: “We have looked intensively at our current situation and analyzed which type of coach with which footballing approach suits us in this difficult sporting situation.” This led “to Bo Henriksen, a coach who has repeatedly succeeded in his career and under very different circumstances in forming teams and in doing so allowing them to play football that is equally pragmatic, but also courageous and ultimately successful.” Henriksen is also characterized by being “a very emotional, open and opinionated character” with “positive energy”.
Henriksen started his coaching career in Denmark at lower-class clubs. In the 2021/2022 season he became Danish runner-up and cup winner with FC Midtjylland. In October 2022, Henriksen took over FC Zurich, then Swiss champions from the previous year, in last place in the Super League. He ensured that the team stayed in the league and even led them back to the top of the table. Zurich is currently in third place. However, Henriksen announced last week that he would not be extending his contract, which expires at the end of the season. Now Henriksen left Zurich early.
Even before Siewert, a Dane with the first name Bo had coached the club: Bo Svensson. He saved Mainz from relegation in 2021 and then even ended the season eighth in the table. Mainz ended the 2022/23 season just four points behind a Conference League place. The club veteran Svensson had worked his way up to the top in the club – but then resigned as coach in November 2023 after the weakest start to the season in the club’s history and the cup exit.
U23 coach Siewert followed him, but he was unsuccessful. Apart from his first game (2-0 against RB Leipzig), the former coach of Mainz’s second team did not win a game and drew six times. In the following eleven games, Mainz won six draws and five defeats. That wasn’t enough for the club, so they were looking for a successor. This should now save the team from falling into the 2nd league.