"Everyone had finished with me": Amiri keeps his word

1. FSV Mainz 05 qualified for the European Cup. Nadiem Amiri was emotional after the match – also because it was a very special season for him.

Great joy after the final whistle: Nadiem Amiri (left) and Robin Zentner celebrate 6th place. IMAGO/HMB-Media

The season finale was special for Nadiem Amiri in two ways. "I was very, very nervous because, of course, I was playing against my former teammates, and I knew what was at stake." Mainz were playing at home against Leverkusen for a place in the Conference League. Ultimately, a 2-2 draw was enough, as second-placed Leipzig lost 3-2 to Stuttgart .

After the match, when it was clear that Bo Henriksen's team had achieved its ultimate goal of qualifying for the European Cup, Amiri also shed tears of joy. "I'm very emotional because I've grown so much. It was an emotional game, and I let my feelings run free." Even in the mixed zone, the 28-year-old had to "pull myself together so I wouldn't cry again."

At the season opener, I said that I wanted to celebrate something other than staying in the league this season.

Amiri sees his sixth-place finish as vindication. "At the season opener, I said I wanted to celebrate something other than staying in the league this season. I think I've kept my word." And that's despite the fact that, after seven games without a win, it didn't exactly look like it anymore. "Mainz 05's faith is enormous; it's always alive. You can see that when you're fighting against relegation – and also this season," praised the playmaker.

Ultimately, Mainz "perhaps didn't have the depth in the squad" to maintain a top-four position, which they held at times, throughout the entire season. "But perhaps the Champions League would have been too big," Amiri concluded, speaking of "development phases" for the club. "Who knows what will happen to the club in the coming years. This is a success now, and we have to build on it and continue working on it. International business makes the club attractive. We've seen what's been going on here; let's see what happens next year in Europe."

14 points for leader Amiri

In addition to the team's success, it was also a very special season for Amiri personally, "after no one was talking about me anymore and everyone had moved on from me." The midfielder joined from Leverkusen in January 2024 for just one million euros. In his first full season in Mainz, he not only led the way, but also contributed seven goals and seven assists in the league and worked his way back into the national team.