Editing 1. FSV Mainz 05 (section)

==History==
===Early years===
A failed attempt to start a football club in the city in 1903 was followed up two years later by the successful creation of '''1. Mainzer Fussballclub Hassia 1905'''. After a number of years of play in the Süddeutschen Fußballverband (South German Football League), the club merged with FC Hermannia 07&nbsp;– the former football side of Mainzer TV 1817&nbsp;– to form '''1. Mainzer Fussballverein Hassia 05''', which dropped "Hassia" from its name in August 1912. Another merger after [[World War I]], in 1919, with Sportverein 1908 Mainz, resulted in the formation of '''1. Mainzer Fußball- und Sportverein 05'''. ''Die Nullfünfer'' ("05") was a solid club that earned several regional league championships in the period between the wars and qualified for the opening round of the national championships in 1921, after winning the [[Kreisliga Hessen]].<ref name="Anfang"/>

===Play during the Nazi era===
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the club played in the [[Bezirksliga Main-Hessen]]&nbsp;– Gruppe Hessen, and the results included first-place finishes in 1932 and 1933. The results merited the team a place in the [[Gauliga Südwest]], one of 16 new first-division leagues formed in the re-organization of German football under the [[Third Reich]]. The club played only a single season at that level before being relegated, due to the high intensity play that they were unable to keep up with.{{vague|date=January 2024}} Karl Scherm scored in 23 out of 44 matches with Mainz during his last season. In 1938, Mainz was forced into a merger with Reichsbahn SV Mainz and played as '''Reichsbahn SV Mainz 05''' until the end of [[World War II]].<ref name="Anfang"/>

===Long march to the Bundesliga===
[[File:Mainz Performance Chart.png|260px|thumb|Historical chart of 1. FSV Mainz league performance]]
After World War II, the club again joined the upper ranks of league play in Germany's [[Oberliga Südwest (1945-63)|Oberliga Südwest]], but were never better than a mid-table side. It played in the top flight until the founding of the new professional league, the [[Bundesliga]], in 1963 and would go on to play as a second division side for most of the next four decades.{{vague|date=January 2024|reason='but were never better... It played'? was/were, it/they?}} They withdrew for a time&nbsp;– from the late 1970s into the late 1980s&nbsp;– to the Amateur [[Fußball-Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar|Oberliga Südwest]] (III), as the result of a series of financial problems.{{vague|date=January 2024|reason=what sort of 'series of financial problems'? and back to 'they', from 'it?}}<ref name="Nachkriegsjahre">{{cite web|title=Chronik&nbsp;– Nachkriegsjahre|url=http://www.mainz05.de/mainz05/verein/chronik/die-nachkriegsjahre.html|publisher=Mainz 05|access-date=12 February 2013|language=de|archive-date=24 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124161513/http://www.mainz05.de/mainz05/verein/chronik/die-nachkriegsjahre.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Mainz'' earned honours as the German amateur champions in 1982.<ref name="Bis Heute">{{cite web|title=Chronik&nbsp;– Bis Heute|url=http://www.mainz05.de/mainz05/verein/chronik/bis-heute.html|publisher=Mainz 05|access-date=12 February 2013|language=de|archive-date=24 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124025109/http://www.mainz05.de/mainz05/verein/chronik/bis-heute.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The club returned to professional play with promotion to the [[2. Bundesliga]] for a single season in [[1988–89 2. Bundesliga|1988–89]] with Bodo Hertlein as president, before finally returning for an extended run in [[1990–91 2. Bundesliga|1990–91]]. Initially, they were perennial relegation candidates, struggling hard each season to avoid being sent down. However, under unorthodox trainer [[Wolfgang Frank]], Mainz became one of the first clubs in German football to adopt a flat four zone defence, as opposed to the then-popular man-to-man defence using a ''[[Libero (football)|libero]]''.<ref name="Bis Heute"/>

Mainz had three unsuccessful attempts to get to the top flight in [[1996–97 2. Bundesliga|1996–97]], [[2001–02 2. Bundesliga|2001–02]], and [[2002–03 2. Bundesliga|2002–03]], with close fourth-place finishes just out of the promotion zone. The last of those attempts stung{{tone inline|date=January 2024}} as they were denied promotion in the 93rd minute of the last match of the season. One year earlier, Mainz became the best non-promoted team of all time in the 2. Bundesliga, with 64 points accumulated. However, the club's persistence paid dividends{{technical inline|date=January 2024}} after promotion to the Bundesliga in [[2003–04 2. Bundesliga|2003–04]] under head coach [[Jürgen Klopp]]. The club played three seasons in the top flight, but were relegated at the end of the [[2006–07 Bundesliga|2006–07 season]]. Mainz secured promotion to the top flight again two years later, after the [[2008–09 2. Bundesliga|2008–09 season]].<ref name="Bis Heute"/>

Mainz also earned a spot in the [[2005–06 UEFA Cup]] in their debut Bundesliga season as Germany's nominee in the [[UEFA Respect Fair Play ranking|Fair Play]] draw which acknowledges positive play, respect for one's opponent, respect for the referee, the behaviour of the crowd and of team officials, as well as cautions and dismissals.{{vague|date=January 2024|reason=explain 'cautions and dismissals' for the reader. or provide links.}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Mainz set for European debut|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/01aa-0ea7de058e01-0213526488bf-1000--mainz-set-for-european-debut/|publisher=UEFA|access-date=4 August 2011|date=2 June 2005|archive-date=25 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225190957/http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=307473.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Due to the Bruchweg stadium's limited capacity, the home matches in UEFA Cup were played in [[Frankfurt]]'s [[Commerzbank-Arena]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Mainz 05 weicht nach Frankfurt aus|url=http://www.netzeitung.de/sport/343332.html|publisher=netzeitung.de|access-date=4 August 2011|language=de|date=11 June 2005|archive-date=23 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323104842/http://www.netzeitung.de/sport/343332.html|url-status=live}}</ref> After defeating Armenian club [[FC Mika|Mika]] and Icelandic club [[Keflavík ÍF|Keflavík]] in the qualifying rounds, Mainz lost to eventual champions [[Sevilla FC|Sevilla]] 2–0 on aggregate in the first round.<ref>{{cite web|title=Keine Sensation in Mainz, Sevilla siegt 2:0|url=http://www.n-tv.de/sport/Sevilla-siegt-2-0-article159552.html|publisher=n-tv.de|access-date=4 August 2011|language=de|date=29 September 2005|archive-date=19 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019172746/http://www.n-tv.de/sport/Sevilla-siegt-2-0-article159552.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the [[2010–11 Bundesliga|2010–11 season]], Mainz equalled the Bundesliga starting record by winning their first seven matches that season.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hamburg end Mainz's record bid|url=http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/association=ger/news/newsid=1546041.html|publisher=UEFA|access-date=4 August 2011|date=16 October 2010|archive-date=17 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217184614/http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/association=ger/news/newsid=1546041.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> They ended the season with their best finish to date in fifth place, good enough to secure them their second entry to the [[2011–12 UEFA Europa League|UEFA Europa League]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Season review: Germany|url=http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/association=ger/news/newsid=1643518.html|publisher=UEFA|access-date=4 August 2011|date=23 June 2011|archive-date=5 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705184923/http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/association=ger/news/newsid=1643518.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> where they were eliminated in the third qualifying round by Romanian club [[CS Gaz Metan Mediaș|Gaz Metan Mediaș]].<ref name="Bis Heute"/>

On the final matchday of the [[2022–23 Bundesliga|2022–23 season]], Mainz secured a 2–2 draw against league leaders [[Borussia Dortmund]] at their stadium, causing the latter to lose the title to [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]] on goal difference.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/borussia-dortmund-mainz-live-team-news-match-stats-champions-bellingham-reus-23583 |title=Heartache for Borussia Dortmund as Mainz draw hands title to Bayern Munich |publisher=Bundesliga |date=27 May 2023 }}</ref>

The [[2023–24 Bundesliga|2023–24 season]] was challenging for Mainz, as they spent most of it in 17th place, with only two wins by matchday 25. However, they drastically improved under coach [[Bo Henriksen]], remaining unbeaten in their last nine matches and winning five of them, including the final two against Borussia Dortmund and [[VfL Wolfsburg]]. This impressive run lifted them from 16th to 13th place, ensuring their continued presence in the Bundesliga.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/bundesliga-great-escape-artists-mainz-add-another-resurrection-to-folklore-started-by-jurgen-klopp-27379 |title=Bundesliga great escape artists Mainz add another resurrection to folklore started by Jürgen Klopp |publisher=Bundesliga |date=18 May 2024 }}</ref> In the [[2024–25 Bundesliga|2024–25 season]], Mainz surged to third place by late March 2025 after a 3–1 win over [[Borussia Mönchengladbach]], raising hopes of first-ever [[UEFA Champions League]] qualification.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.zdf.de/video/kurzfassungen/bundesliga-fussball-highlights-zusammenfassung-100/borussia-moenchengladbach-fsv-mainz-05-highlights-zusammenfassung-saison-2024-25-100 |title=Bundesliga: 3:1-Sieg in M'gladbach: Mainz 05 nun Dritter |publisher=ZDF |language=de |date=9 March 2025 }}</ref> However, a 2–2 home draw with [[SC Freiburg]], followed by a 3–1 away defeat to Dortmund, triggered a seven-match winless streak that saw Mainz slip to seventh place with two games remaining in the season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.swr.de/sport/fussball/fsv-mainz-05/verspielt-mainz-05-noch-europa-100.html |title="Tut richtig weh": Mainz 05 verpasst Sprung auf Champions-League-Rang vier |publisher=SWR.de |language=de |date=19 April 2025 }}</ref> They eventually finished sixth, qualifying for the [[2025–26 UEFA Conference League|Conference League]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/mainz-05-season-to-remember-henriksen-burkardt-amiri-europe-32206 |title=Flying 05ers: Mainz and Bo Henriksen have had a season to remember in 2024/25 |publisher=Bundesliga |date=16 May 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Gjerulff |first=Rune  |url=https://bulinews.com/m05-b04 |title=Hard-fought draw secures European spot for Mainz |publisher=Bundesliga News |date=17 May 2025 }}</ref>