Official: Schwolow returns to Bundesliga after short stint at Hearts
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Alexander Schwolow has joined Mainz 05 following a season at Hearts. The German goalkeeper was the first choice as the Scottish club missed out on a historic championship to Celtic on the final day.
The 05ers saw Daniel Batz leave the club to join Borussia Mönchengladbach on a free transfer earlier this summer. The 34-year-old will now compete with Mainz’s long-time starting goalkeeper Robin Zentner for a place between the sticks.
The Wiesbaden-native has played over 200 Bundesliga games for Freiburg, Hertha BSC, Schalke and Union Berlin. Mainz agreed with Hearts for the shot-stopper to participate in two Champions League qualifying matches for the Scottish club until July 30th.
"With Alexander Schwolow, we got exactly the goalkeeping profile we were looking for. He is a fitting character and team player and has just played an outstanding season with Heart of Midlothian. Alex knows the Bundesliga inside and out through his more than 200 Bundesliga games and will not need a settling-in time because he grew up just a few kilometers away from Mainz.” said Mainz’s sporting director Niko Bungert.
"Mainz 05 stands for cohesion, passion, and a very clear way of playing football. This mentality is a good fit for me. After my exciting time in Scotland, I wanted to take on a new challenge in the Bundesliga and at Mainz I had the feeling that it fits very well humanly and athletically.” said the former Germany U20 international in his first interview as a Mainz player.
