Heidel: Decision on Svensson was made at half past three in the morning
The separation between Bundesliga soccer team FSV Mainz 05 and coach Bo Svensson was decided directly in the night after the cup defeat at Hertha BSC.
Svensson, sporting director Christian Heidel and sporting director Martin Schmidt sat down immediately after the 3-0 defeat at the hotel in Berlin, as Heidel told a press conference. A decision was then made at 3.30 a.m., according to Heidel. "It was a separation at the very highest level, at eye level," said the official. The process was "light years away from a dismissal or resignation".
Former U23 coach Jan Siewert is to prepare the 05ers for the Bundesliga match against RB Leipzig on Saturday (3.30pm/Sky). "I've experienced a few coach departures. There were never any pleasant ones, but the one with Bo hurt everyone, including me. It reminded me of saying goodbye to Jürgen Klopp," Heidel said of the 44-year-old Dane.
On Thursday afternoon, Svensson stepped in front of the team he had been in charge of since January 2021. "He gave a very moving speech there. I don't know how many people cried - I was there," said 60-year-old Heidel. The team was dejected afterwards. Svensson sent an emotional message to the Mainz fans after his departure.
FSV Mainz 05, currently managed by Bo Svensson, is set to face RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, with former U23 coach Jan Siewert taking temporary charge. This shift comes following a heated discussion between Svensson, sporting director Christian Heidel, and Schmidt after the cup defeat at Hertha BSC, which led to a separation decision at 3.30 a.m., as revealed by Heidel.
Despite the separation, Svensson expressed his gratitude towards FSV Mainz 05 and its fans in an emotional message, causing tears among the team members, including sporting director Heidel.
Source: www.dpa.com
