1. FSV Mainz 05

Founding and Early Years

The club was founded on 16 March 1905 as 1. Mainzer Fußballclub Hassia 1905, before taking its current name, 1. FSV Mainz 05, in 1908 following a merger. It takes its nickname "Nullfünfer" (the 05ers) from its founding year.

Club Evolution

The club play at the Mewa Arena, opened in 2011, wearing red and white. Also nicknamed "Karnevalsverein" (the carnival club), echoing Mainz's Rhineland carnival culture, the club spent long years shuttling between divisions before finding lasting stability in the Bundesliga from the 2000s onward.

Great Managers

Jürgen Klopp (2001-2008), who took charge with the club facing relegation to the third division, led Mainz to their first-ever Bundesliga promotion in 2004, an achievement he himself has called the proudest of his career. Thomas Tuchel (2009-2014) succeeded him and delivered the club's best-ever season, a 5th-place finish in 2010-11 that brought their first European qualification.

Iconic Players

Niko Bungert, captain for eleven years and scorer of the club's first-ever European group-stage goal in 2016, embodies loyalty to the club, now serving as its sporting director. Mainz remains better known for launching great managerial careers than for its players.

Major Achievements

1. FSV Mainz 05 have never won the Bundesliga or the DFB-Pokal. Their history is defined above all by the stability gained since the Klopp era, with several European qualifications, including the Europa League in 2011 and 2016-17.

The Club Today

Led by Urs Fischer and chaired by Stefan Hofmann since 2018, Mainz 05 finished 10th in the Bundesliga in 2025-26, confirming their stability as a solid mid-table club.