A few days ago, an interesting article was published on Kicker about Mainz and the reasons for their current success (Last week they won 2:1 against Bayern). The article also mentions the role of Babak Keyhanfar.
link to the article:https://www.kicker.de/schluessel-sve...803272/artikel
Free Translation:
Key Svensson and the Keyhanfar factor
It's almost a sensation that Bo Svensson has just delivered with Mainz 05 - the 2-1 win over FC Bayern means the seventh game in a row without a defeat and fifth place in the second-round table with one game and two points less than second-place Leipzig. What made this coach so different?
Strong duo: Mainz head coach Bo Svensson and his assistant Babak Keyhanfar.
In addition to the calm at the club, which is due in particular to the return of board member Christian Heidel, the key to Mainz's race to catch up is Svensson. This can be seen in the fact that the squad was not rotated to the left in the winter, at best selectively strengthened (Da Costa, Kohr, Glatzel) or thinned out (Aaron, Mateta). The result: a defense that works. Only 13 goals conceded after 13 games (with one make-up game) in the second half of the season means a shared second place in this category with VfL Wolfsburg. Only RB Leipzig (11) defends better, and even FC Bayern (15) or the defensive specialists from 1. FC Union (17) conceded more goals. After the 13th first-round matchday, FSV still had the second-worst defense in the league with 26 goals conceded.
Bell is the conductor
This stabilization also has to do with one name: Stefan Bell. With Achim Beierlorzer and Jan-Moritz Lichte on the sidelines, Svensson put his trust in his former teammate. The Dane recognizes strengths and weaknesses, knows exactly what his pros can and can't do. Bell would probably no longer be fast enough for a center-back position in a Bundesliga back four. He can compensate for this disadvantage in his role as the central man in the three-man backline - and in return play out his qualities as a prudent commanding player and resilient integration figure, not to mention his heading qualities offensively and defensively. Conversely, Moussa Niakhaté and Jeremiah St. Juste both have the potential to be good Bundesliga defenders, but it took the conductor Bell at their side to consistently call it up.
The fact that Svensson can throw in Alexander Hack, Danny Latza or Robin Quaison, all of whom have a claim to the starting eleven, after weeks of being reserves against the record champions and the trio works immediately speaks, along with the mentality of these professionals, for the performance culture that Svensson established in a squad that was still striking the coach away in the fall. By all accounts, the highly talented bench pressers Kunde or Edimilson Fernandes are putting their foot down and not the stinker. That, too, is a credit to Svensson, or rather, his ability to delegate.
Keyhanfar is a brilliant communicator
To his assistant Babak Keyhanfar, for example. Although Svensson is also considered a motivator and quite approachable for his professionals - but the relationship must not be too close, otherwise the authority of the boss suffers at some point. In addition to his professional strengths, Keyhanfar is a brilliant communicator, not least with the support of sports director Martin Schmidt, who works closely with the team. The 36-year-old's value can be seen perfectly in Svensson's debut season at FC Liefering. The Dane arrived in the summer of 2019, and by the winter break his record in Austria's 2nd division read mixed, with five wins, five draws and six defeats. In January 2020, he brought Keyhanfar from Mainz, and in the second half of the season, the RB farm team started with ten wins, three draws and only one defeat and became runners-up.
link to the article:https://www.kicker.de/schluessel-sve...803272/artikel
Free Translation:
Key Svensson and the Keyhanfar factor
It's almost a sensation that Bo Svensson has just delivered with Mainz 05 - the 2-1 win over FC Bayern means the seventh game in a row without a defeat and fifth place in the second-round table with one game and two points less than second-place Leipzig. What made this coach so different?
Strong duo: Mainz head coach Bo Svensson and his assistant Babak Keyhanfar.
In addition to the calm at the club, which is due in particular to the return of board member Christian Heidel, the key to Mainz's race to catch up is Svensson. This can be seen in the fact that the squad was not rotated to the left in the winter, at best selectively strengthened (Da Costa, Kohr, Glatzel) or thinned out (Aaron, Mateta). The result: a defense that works. Only 13 goals conceded after 13 games (with one make-up game) in the second half of the season means a shared second place in this category with VfL Wolfsburg. Only RB Leipzig (11) defends better, and even FC Bayern (15) or the defensive specialists from 1. FC Union (17) conceded more goals. After the 13th first-round matchday, FSV still had the second-worst defense in the league with 26 goals conceded.
Bell is the conductor
This stabilization also has to do with one name: Stefan Bell. With Achim Beierlorzer and Jan-Moritz Lichte on the sidelines, Svensson put his trust in his former teammate. The Dane recognizes strengths and weaknesses, knows exactly what his pros can and can't do. Bell would probably no longer be fast enough for a center-back position in a Bundesliga back four. He can compensate for this disadvantage in his role as the central man in the three-man backline - and in return play out his qualities as a prudent commanding player and resilient integration figure, not to mention his heading qualities offensively and defensively. Conversely, Moussa Niakhaté and Jeremiah St. Juste both have the potential to be good Bundesliga defenders, but it took the conductor Bell at their side to consistently call it up.
The fact that Svensson can throw in Alexander Hack, Danny Latza or Robin Quaison, all of whom have a claim to the starting eleven, after weeks of being reserves against the record champions and the trio works immediately speaks, along with the mentality of these professionals, for the performance culture that Svensson established in a squad that was still striking the coach away in the fall. By all accounts, the highly talented bench pressers Kunde or Edimilson Fernandes are putting their foot down and not the stinker. That, too, is a credit to Svensson, or rather, his ability to delegate.
Keyhanfar is a brilliant communicator
To his assistant Babak Keyhanfar, for example. Although Svensson is also considered a motivator and quite approachable for his professionals - but the relationship must not be too close, otherwise the authority of the boss suffers at some point. In addition to his professional strengths, Keyhanfar is a brilliant communicator, not least with the support of sports director Martin Schmidt, who works closely with the team. The 36-year-old's value can be seen perfectly in Svensson's debut season at FC Liefering. The Dane arrived in the summer of 2019, and by the winter break his record in Austria's 2nd division read mixed, with five wins, five draws and six defeats. In January 2020, he brought Keyhanfar from Mainz, and in the second half of the season, the RB farm team started with ten wins, three draws and only one defeat and became runners-up.
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