Mainz will be returning to Europe next season after a successful campaign culminated in a top seven finish that saw them secure a place in the Europa League. Having seen his side throw away an excellent start to the season last time around, Thomas Tuchel was keen to improve on that performance and spent a busy summer overhauling his side with as many as five first team players leaving the club while the Mainz coach managed to lure Shinji Okazaki from Stuttgart while also bringing in Christoph Moritz and Johannes Geis. Julian Koch was also signed from Borussia Dortmund but the defender spent much of the season out injured. Tuchel was keen to ensure that his side got off to a good start and Mainz hit the ground running, winning their first three games though a dip in form saw them collect just one point from their next six ones. Mainz returned to winning ways with a comfortable victory over Eintracht Braunschweig late in October and Die Nullfunfer hit a rich vein of form in November, notching up victories over Eintracht Frankfurt, Werder Bremen and Hamburger SV to head into the winter break with a place in the top half of the table. The turn of the year saw Mainz pick up from where they had left off before the break, securing back to back victories against Stuttgart and SC Freiburg and, though they slumped to a disappointing defeat to Wolfsburg, a five-match unbeaten run followed that saw them climb up to sixth in the league table. However a dip in form, especially away from home, in the final weeks of the season almost dashed their hopes of European qualification and though sixth place was out of reach, four wins from their final four home games ensured that they saw off Augsburg's challenge to finish seventh and secure the final Europa League qualification spot. Nicolai Muller started the season as the key man for Mainz but injury problems forced the midfielder out of contention in the second half of the campaign and while Okazaki, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Nikolce Noveski all had a good season for Mainz, it was Geis who was the key for Mainz's improved form after the winter break with the 20-year old putting in a number of consistent performances sitting just in front of the defense. Mainz have a busy summer ahead with Tuchel stepping down as the coach following their victory over Hamburger SV on the final day of the season. FC Nordsjælland coach Kasper Hjulmand has been appointed as a replacement for Tuchel and while there have been no new arrivals, Mainz have moved on some of the older players with Bo Svensson, Malik Fathi, Christian Wetklo and Zdenek Pospech all leaving the club. Signings are needed, both in terms of quality and quantity, for Mainz, if they are to have another successful campaign and be competitive both in the Bundesliga and in an energy sapping Europa League campaign next season.
