Daniel Batz from Mainz 05: Bundesliga comeback after eleven years

Jan Siewert and Christian Streich were largely identical in their game analysis, but when it came to the goalkeeper, the coaches of FSV Mainz 05 and SC Freiburg diverged after the meeting on the 13th Bundesliga matchday. “We are Freiburg, we have a talented goalkeeper who comes from our own youth and then he goes into the goal,” Streich explained the fundamental decision he made before the season when asked about the performance of 21-year-old Noah Atubolu.

Mainz didn’t have to worry about that in the summer, Robin Zentner remained the clear number one. Before the game against Freiburg, however, Siewert and goalkeeper coach Stephan Kuhnert had to decide between Lasse Rieß and Daniel Batz due to Zentner’s bony finger injury. So between the 22-year-old young man, who has been a 05er since childhood but has never played above the regional league, and the newcomer, who is around twelve and a half years older and who at least has the routine of 115 third division games.

“He showed that he can play in the Bundesliga”

According to Freiburg logic, the choice would probably have been Rieß. In Mainz, the coach said before the game that he was happy to have two replacement keepers suitable for the first division – and decided on Batz. “In a situation like this you need experience, and Daniel has shown that he can play in the Bundesliga.” The addition, “Lasse Rieß could have done the same thing,” sounded a bit dutiful. The fact is: the decision-makers had more confidence in the 32-year-old to cope with the task than his talent.

Batz, who was accepted after the final training session, spoke afterwards of a special, very emotional day. “I went through a lot of valleys,” said the Franconian, who spent most of his career in the regional league – in Nuremberg, Freiburg, Elversberg and Saarbrücken before being promoted to the third league with the FCS in 2020.

“There was a lot of work behind it, and a lot of people accompanied me on my way so that I made it into the Bundesliga again.” A little curiosity: His only previous Bundesliga game was on May 5, 2012, back then – and that, in a way, came full circle a circle – for SC Freiburg under Christian Streich in the 4-0 defeat against Borussia Dortmund.

“It’s been far too long,” said Batz after his first division comeback. His joy at having represented Robin Zentner was dampened given the 0-1 defeat. “We played a good game, but unfortunately we weren’t effective enough.” The three biggest chances before the break were Ludovic Ajorque and Sepp van den Berg, who each failed because of Atubolo’s strong parrying, and at the beginning of the second half Ajorque failed because of one that was too weak A shot from close range could have been enough to take the lead. In addition, there were a number of well-presented attacks in which “the decision-making process was too complicated,” as sports director Martin Schmidt complained.

And then a mistake by the Mainz defense after one of Freiburg’s long throw-ins proved to be fatal, as Batz had no chance against Michael Gregoritsch’s left-footed shot into the far corner, especially since a teammate was blocking his view of the shooter. His only mistake had no consequences because Gregoritsch headed the missed cross past the goal.

Peter H. Eisenhuth, Mainz Published/Updated: Peter H. Eisenhuth Published/Updated: Recommendations: 2 Peter H. Eisenhuth, Mainz Published/Updated: Recommendations: 3

Otherwise, Batz delivered an impeccable performance, which was only missing a crowning team success. And given the proportion of the game, that was difficult for everyone in Mainz to digest. Sports director Schmidt: “If you see the performance data, it is almost impossible to lose the game.”