When Bo Henriksen took over as coach at Mainz 05 in mid-February, there was a lot of new territory for the Dane at his first Bundesliga position. Assistant coach Niko Bungert is an important factor in getting used to the game.
Good exchange: Bo Henriksen and Niko Bungert. IMAGO/Martin Hoffmann
While the players were warming up before training, Bo Henriksen and the two assistant coaches Michael Silberbauer and Niko Bungert stood next to each other and chatted animatedly. The German upper house is completely new territory for Henriksen and Silberbauer; Bungert knows his way around it like no other in the team of 05 assistants, which also includes Sören Hartung. Between 2008 and 2019, Bungert played 218 competitive games in the FSV jersey.
“He is part of the culture of Mainz 05, he knows how it came about and I talked to him a lot about how we can recreate that feeling,” emphasized Henriksen. The coaching team has made a lot of progress on this path. “Bo listens to our opinions and incorporates them into his decisions. We feel the appreciation,” explains Bungert. “I think that’s also a key factor why it’s so much fun in the coaching team.”
Will Bungert remain assistant coach after the end of the season?
During the winter break, Bungert came to his new job like a virgin to a child. On the way to his winter vacation, he was asked on the phone whether he could imagine joining head coach Jan Siewert’s team as an assistant. Bungert’s actual job is that of club ambassador. Of course he wants to help, but he still only commits himself until the end of the season. “We have tough weeks ahead of us in every respect until May. After that we’ll talk about what happens next. At the moment it’s about doing things as well as possible on the pitch and then finishing the season by staying in the league.” says the 37-year-old.
In the coaching team, Bungert is responsible for standards, among other things, and has had his first successes. Goals from dead balls have once again become a weapon for the FSV. The ex-professional also takes care of analyzing the opponents’ game and developing strategies on how to overcome the opponents.
Before the guest game at RB Leipzig (Saturday, 3:30 p.m., LIVE! on kicker), this is a particularly tricky task due to RB’s offensive strength and individual quality. As a former defensive player, Bungert’s expertise is particularly in demand these days in the first away game after the disastrous 1:8 in Munich. “In general, we’re doing good to very good defensively. You have to exclude the Bayern game, that was a used day.”
2024-03-26 17:42:48
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