Bo Henriksen Sacked: Mainz 05 Part Ways with Coach

Mainz 05 fire Bo Henriksen after poor run

Mainz 05 part ways with Danish coach Bo Henriksen after string of poor performances leaves them bottom of Bundesliga.

“In a seemingly hopeless situation, he rallied the club and the entire city...”

Mainz 05 has parted ways with Danish coach Bo Henriksen after a dismal run of eight matches without a win, leaving them at the bottom of the Bundesliga table. The decision comes after a 4-0 thrashing at SC Freiburg, where Mainz managed just one shot on target.

Henriksen, 50, had taken the helm in February 2024, steering the club to safety and even securing a Conference League spot last season. However, this season has been a different story, with Mainz accumulating just five points from 10 matches.

U23 coach Benjamin Hoffmann will take over as interim manager, tasked with stabilizing the ship and guiding Mainz through their relegation battle. Sporting director Christian Heidel thanked Henriksen for his service, acknowledging the tough decision to part ways.

As early as Sunday evening, sporting director Niko Bungert had announced a comprehensive analysis of the desperate situation and declined to back up coach Henriksen.

Thank you for everything, Bo! ❤️🤍

Bo Henriksen is no longer the head coach of 1. FSV Mainz 05. The club’s sporting management and the Danish coach agreed on Wednesday to end their collaboration with immediate effect.

(1/2) pic.twitter.com/4aDiV1SH0g

— Mainz 05 English (@Mainz05en) December 3, 2025

After two days of intensive deliberations, it is now clear: The heavy 0-4 defeat at SC Freiburg, in which Mainz 05 managed only a single shot on goal in 90 minutes, was one defeat too many for the Dane.

The 50-year-old was dismissed from his position as head coach, with Under-23 coach Benjamin Hoffmann taking over training temporarily.

“Mainz 05 owes Bo Henriksen a great deal,” sporting director Christian Heidel stated in a club press release. “In a seemingly hopeless situation, he rallied the club and the entire city, leading us to safety with his empathetic and passionate approach, and even to promotion to the Conference League a year later.”

However, in football there are “always developments that necessitate a reorientation for sporting reasons - although all those involved worked together with all their might to find solutions until the very end,” as Heidel assures: “Together with Bo we have come to the realization that we have reached such a point, even if the separation really hurts.”

Bo Henriksen led Mainz 05 to safety and even secured a Conference League spot last season, but things have taken a turn for the worse. The Danish coach had taken the helm in February 2024 and steered the club to a respectable finish, but this season's campaign has been a struggle.