This was going to be about Mainz and Köln, two of the most exciting and interesting teams of the season so far, playing on Sunday.
It still is, but a bit less, as it’s also now a bit about the pandemic and football overlapping in Germany as that situation becomes increasingly controversial.
If football is a microcosm for society, it is painting an accurate yet unflattering picture of the pandemic and vaccination discourse flying around Germany right now.
Joshua Kimmich is unvaccinated. It has become a big deal in German football. For one of Bayern Munich and Germany’s biggest players to publicly talk about his decision was a shock and, though Kimmich insisted he is by no means anti-vaccine, it has caused quite the stir.
Having opened up about the situation before the international break, Kimmich was sent home from Germany duty (along with three other players) because he had been considered a close contact to Niklas Süle, who, though vaccinated, tested positive and has had mild symptoms.
Kimmich again missed Bayern Munich’s game with Augsburg on Friday having come in close contact with someone suspected of having coronavirus in the 48 hours he was out of quarantine. He’s now back at home, stuck for another week.
But he may not even be the most controversial coronavirus topic in Germany anymore.
On Thursday evening, fallen giants and second tier promotion hopefuls Werder Bremen confirmed there is an investigation ongoing into whether head coach Markus Anfang has a forged proof of vaccination.
Defender Marco Friedl tested positive for coronavirus, so the health department in Bremen checked the people he had been in contact with to see who was vaccinated, who wasn’t, and who had to go into quarantine. They allegedly discovered something they hadn’t expected with Anfang’s vaccination status, namely (per Deichstube) that the batch number and vaccination date of the vaccine he is said to have had didn’t match his vaccination certificate.
Anfang, who said he had not yet been vaccinated when he was appointed in the summer but since told BILD he is vaccinated, has denied the accusations and Bremen have said they have no reason not to believe him. The investigation is ongoing.
And, finally, if politicians get their way, unvaccinated players and staff could be barred from attending games altogether. German stadia currently abide by 3G rules, allowing anyone who has been vaccinated (Geimpft), recovered from a COVID infection in the last six months (Genesen) or produced a negative test (Getestet) to enter with their ticket. The same goes for players. But that is moving to 2G (only vaccinated or recovered) for fans and could for players as well, if the government can legally enforce it.
“Normally it’s the case that the working sphere is 3G,” Angela Merkel explained on Thursday. “So now it depends on whether (professional sport) belongs to the working sphere or the free-time sphere.”
The pandemic is only worsening nationwide and these conversations aren’t going to end anytime soon.
Onto the football, then. There is a huge derby in Germany this weekend as the two capital clubs meet in the east of Berlin. The rivalry is fierce and fundamentally geographical.
Then there’s the Karnevals-Derby on Sunday. The carnival derby. Between two clubs who aren’t even in the same state and have no historic competitive rivalry. Mainz and Köln are about two hours apart in the car, or around 150km (roughly 95 miles) as the crow flies. But both cities are famous for their carnivals, and so this fixture has become a derby of sorts.
Karneval is something that can’t really be explained and isn’t even understood by most Germans. It is unique to the people of Köln in November and the people of Mainz around five months later. And it matters. A lot. Köln turned up for training last week, on the 11th of the 11th, in fancy dress. Steffen Baumgart made quite the impression as he played DJ with a beer in his hand, a wig on his head, and a pink unicorn onesie to bring the whole thing together.
And this fixture actually does mean something competitive this weekend.
The middle of the Bundesliga is squashed and an opportunity presents itself. Wolfsburg are struggling, Leipzig have been inconsistent Leverkusen are in freefall, Gladbach started slowly and Frankfurt and Stuttgart started slowly and haven’t picked up the pace. Just five points separate fourth and eleventh.
That leaves the European places wide open and Mainz and Köln, who both battled against relegation last season, are surprise contenders.
And the game could be a great one to watch.
Bo Svensson turned Mainz around last season, taking over with the side on six points from 14 games and leading them to safety with 33 points from the remaining 20 matches. The trend has continued, Mainz sit seventh heading into the weekend, just two points from the top four.
The approach is obvious: Mainz play aggressively. Lining up with a back three, there is always coverage defensively, so players can press high and attack aggressively whenever there is a chance to win the ball, safe in the knowledge there is a safety net behind them. When they have the ball they play it out calmly and intelligently, they use the full width of the pitch, and they get multiple players into the area on every attack. It’s no accident: Svensson played under both Jürgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel at the club before he underwent his coaching education in the Red Bull system.
And then there’s Köln, who have been transformed from one of those boring teams you avoid watching at all costs last season to the team you try to check out every weekend this season under Steffen Baumgart.
Like Mainz, Köln press high and press aggressively. Perhaps even higher and even more aggressively, looking to force the opposition into playing the ball long, where they can pounce on second balls and win 50-50s. They do the same themselves, playing long from their centre-backs, occupying the opposition backline with their forwards, hoping to win the second ball in between their frontline and the opposition’s.
Baumgart has usually used a 4-diamond-2 formation this season, with central midfielder attacking out wide along with the fullbacks as the ‘front three’ and players from the opposite side fill the box. It’s high-energy, high-risk, and highly entertaining.
Both teams have been a delight this season, with Köln’s intensity making them one of the best attacking sides in the league and Mainz’s intensity making them one of the best defensive sides. These games tend to either be end-to-end and high-tempo or get messy in the middle of the pitch as the two sides just press and press, leaving no time for any considered play in the thirds either side of the middle.
Let’s hope for the end-to-end stuff this time around.