Mainz report card

Mainz will barely have enough time to unpack their cases, set down their beach towels and enjoy the sun before they will be back in European action at the end of July. One thing is for sure, they'll be hoping to improve on their only other foray into Europe – a disastrous outing where Mainz lost to little-known Romanian side Gaz Metan.

All things considered though, the achievement of finishing in the allocated European positions is nothing short of fantastic. With 53 points, Mainz held on to seventh, but have been lurking around as high as fourth all season.

The next campaign, however, will be a fresh start. Thomas Tuchel has left the building and will be replaced by Danish coach Kasper Hjulmund. Mainz await a serious test of their management and ability to come through such a transitional phase.

Key player:

Plucking out a 15-goal-per-season striker is hard enough, but Tuchel has overseen an incredible transformation in Japanese striker Shinji Okazaki. Poorly utilized at Stuttgart as a midfielder, the 28-year-old has thrived when deployed as the main centre-forward at the Coface Arena this season. Mainz, to put it simply, would be nowhere without his 15 goals. Add to that his brilliant hold-up play, interchanging movement and attitude, and Mainz may have finally got the striker they've long been searching for.

Surprise player:

You could probably go through Tuchel's starting eleven to find players performing above their station. Johannes Geis has enjoyed a fine campaign, taking on huge responsibility as the deep-lying midfielder in the team; Christoph Moritz has gone from Schalke outcast to a great team-player; Loris Karuis, only 21 years old, stepped in from the cold to end some goalkeeping problems and brought a calming aura to the team.

Then, there are special mentions for Zdenek Pospech, Yunus Malli, Stefan Bell and Park Jo-Hoo.

Coach:

Tuchel took part in the post-match celebrations following the 3-2 win over Hamburg on matchday 34, but all was not well behind the scenes. The 40-year-old coach confirmed he has decided to step down from his role, despite being contracted with the club until 2015. Mainz, however, refused to allow him to leave. The saga is probably set to play out, although, you would expect an amicable conclusion.

What's next?

Expect some changes. The last transition period between Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel was a rough time for Mainz and Jorn Andersen was axed within months. Kasper Hjulmand arrives from FC Nordsjaellend with a glowing reputation, leading his club into the Champions League last season. With some experienced players – Choupo-Moting, Pospech, Svensson, Wetklo – on the way out, expect the likes of 19-year-old Malli, Shawn Parker and Ja-Cheol Koo to step up and provide freshness next season.

Grade: A+

What more can you ask for? It's a stunning achievement, and a testimony to the astute management of everyone involved at the club. They've now acquired a very promising replacement and will be hoping to improve steadily.