Mainz vs Eintracht Frankfurt preview - New Mainz boss sets out blueprint

Posted Friday, February 20, 2015 by PA

New Mainz coach Martin Schmidt has called for "emotion, passion and fire" from his side in Saturday's local derby with Eintracht Frankfurt.

The former reserve team coach was appointed as head coach of the first team on Tuesday after Kasper Hjulmand was dismissed, and he faces a challenging debut on the Mainz bench.

If his team can show the same fighting spirit he displayed in his first press conference this week, they should have the chance of recording only their second win in 14 matches.

"I can't say I'm happy to be sitting here because given the amount of people, it means something must have happened," said Schmidt.

"It's got to be said that we could not have picked better opponents for this situation.

"I know exactly where we want to go. I know exactly what principles and attributes we want to show.

"We will try to loosen the reins and march on. I want to see emotion, passion and fire. Pressing football, attacking football, hurting our opponents - that's what I want to bring.

"That is what I am all about, not hours discussing theory."

His style, Schmidt explains, is a mixture of what he has seen in five years at the club, and what he already knew about them before arriving from Thun in Switzerland.

"I would be lying if I said that Thomas Tuchel had not infected me with his fever," Schmidt said.

"But then that is the style of Mainz, which was already embodied by Wolfgang Frank and Jurgen Klopp.

"But I am a coach in my own right and I have many ideas."

His first team selection may reveal more of his ideas, but there are few doubts about who will be lining up on the other side.

Coach Thomas Schaaf is unlikely to make changes to the team which beat Schalke a week ago, although he can no longer count on the services of Vaclav Kadlec.

"We have accommodated Vaclav's wishes and allowed him to join Sparta Prague on loan until the end of the season," said Frankfurt's director of sport Bruno Hubner.