Good to Know

That 1. FSV Mainz 05 is in many respects a "somewhat different" Bundesliga club is well known. Less well known is that long-serving president Harald Strutz was one of the first Bundesliga officials to embrace an environmental concept.

As early as the 2004 Bruchwegstadion renovation, he installed a photovoltaic system on a stand roof. Ecological aspects are a cornerstone of the Mainz 05 brand to this day. Even the new arena was developed with a sustainability concept.

That the Rhineland-Palatinate state capital is a carnival stronghold is common knowledge and is reflected at Mainz 05 too. The club is often labelled a "carnival club" — sometimes mockingly, sometimes affectionately. The carnival connection runs deep: the club's anthem is played at every home match, and the Fastnacht traditions are woven into the DNA of the club.

Jürgen Klopp started his coaching career at Mainz 05. That is common knowledge. But who actually discovered Klopp? That is less well known. It was Christian Heidel, Mainz's long-serving general manager and the man who built the club's infrastructure. Heidel spotted something in the gangly striker who had scored 52 goals in 325 second-division matches for Mainz.