Mainz, a surprisingly fun midtable side in the German Bundesliga. Tickets are usually no problem, and given the club's central location, you can always combine a trip with another nearby club.
1. FSV Mainz 05, as the club is fully named, was never the region's biggest club and used to play most of their matches in the 2. Bundesliga. However, at the turn of the century, this changed when one of their defenders, the anonymous Jürgen Klopp was appointed manager. He turned out to be a bigger talent on the bench rather than on the pitch and turned Mainz into a stable Bundesliga club. Apart from one relegation, they're still a stable team that perfectly fits in the German top flight.
To empower the growth of the club, Mainz built a new stadium which opened in 2011. The location of this giant, red box is at least remarkable: To the west of the city surrounded by plain fields. Because of this, you can spot the home ground of FSV Mainz from miles away. An amazing sight, especially if they play at night. The inside of the Mewa Arena is quite basic and appears smaller than it actually is. Through the big windows in the corners, you have a nice view of the landscape surrounding the stadium.
Stadion am Bruchweg, Mainz's former stadium, was heavily damaged during World War II. However, they were quick to rebuild the ruins that were left. In 2011 Mainz had to move on and left the former home base on the Dr.-Martin-Luther-King-Weg. Luckily, the stadium is still there, except for the demolished north stand. Mainz's second team still plays its home matches here in the Regionalliga. The youth academy is also based here.
In the heart of Mainz, you will find the busy Große Langgasse. It's an important street for FSV Mainz because this is where Café Neuf once was, the pub where the club was founded in 1905. The place right in front of the Irish Pub The Porter House is marked by a column with a picture of those days.
The Gutenbergplatz is one of the biggest squares in Mainz. This is where the players and fans of Mainz go when they have something to celebrate. It is rare for this to happen, but in 2004 the square was completely full of fans following the club's first-ever promotion to the Bundesliga. The players and manager Klopp appeared on the balcony of the Staatstheater, the giant brown building on the square.
We already mentioned him, but Jürgen Klopp is by far the most famous football man of Mainz. He lived in Mainz when he was a player, and if he is not in Liverpool he still resides in Mainz. If he's in town, he loves going to Café Raab, which is close to the house he has owned for decades now.
Getting tickets is usually not a problem in Mainz. You order them easily on the club's website, and on match day you can pick them up at the stadium's ticket office.
Take exit 19, Mainz-Finthen, on the A60 motorway. You can't miss the Mewa Arena from there. You can also get there by public transport, from train station Mainz Hauptbahnhof there are special shuttle trams to the stadium.
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