No one can get past Moritz Jenz. No football expert who wants to talk about the most clever winter transfer. No Schalke fan who wants to explain why they can suddenly dream of staying in the league. No opponent who gets in his way.
Jenz has stabilised the defence in a very short time. In the last six games, Schalke conceded only one goal - that corresponds to an average of 0.17 per game. In the six Bundesliga games before Jenz's arrival, 16 goals were conceded - an average of 2.7.
Various factors make the Berlin-born player perhaps the decisive factor in the relegation battle. He gives his sidekick Maya Yoshida a lot of security. The 34-year-old Japanese has immense experience and was also convincing as the leader of his country at the World Cup. In Gelsenkirchen, things didn't quite work out in the beginning.
He lacked the speed to defend the depth. To give the men in front of him a feeling of security, he lacked the right charisma. He lacked the necessary relief to show off his strong positional play.
Jenz took many tasks from Yoshida. He is fast enough to run off steep passes in case of doubt. He is intelligent enough to take an active part in the build-up to the game. And he is the form of leader that was looked for in Yoshida but not found.
He didn't need any start-up time. Thomas Reis was convinced after his arrival in Gelsenkirchen: "He is young, but experienced. And has a calm manner that is generally good for our game."
Jenz is a swashbuckler who rejoices over winning duels as much as he does over scoring goals, a player with a strong mentality. It's as if he were a true "Schalker Jung". The Ruhr region suits him.
It all began in Berlin
But his roots lie elsewhere. He came to the traditional Berlin club Tennis Borussia. There he attracted attention with strong performances, and FC Fulham brought the then 16-year-old Moritz to the island.
In an interview with the British tabloid "The Sun", the Scotsman Peter Grant, then youth coach at Craven Cottage, told of the young German-Nigerian's abilities that could not be overlooked: "When I started watching him, I honestly believed he could make it to the very top."
Moving to a foreign country as a teenager was a great challenge, but also a great temptation for the young Jenz. He told Schalke 04's YouTube channel that he had difficulties at first, that the English he learned at school was of little help, and that the English food didn't appeal to him at first either.
In addition, the English youth players were not particularly fond of him: "My teammates have shown me that they don't like a German taking a place in the starting eleven away from them. If there's one thing I learned in England, it's not to put up with anything and to show toughness in the game," he explained in an interview with transfermarkt.de. "I always thought that when you grow up in Berlin, you know what assertiveness is. But London was another, tougher school."
From Fulham, it was on to Lausanne-Sport in the Swiss Super League. The goal was to stay in the league, and in the end they finished in a strong sixth place. Coach Giorgio Contini recognised his potential. He was convinced by Jenz's modern understanding of the game and his commitment, and the defender, who was only 21 at the time, was allowed to make 30 league appearances by the end of the season.
That, in turn, gave FC Lorient the idea of sending 3.5 million euros to Lausanne for him. In the French Ligue 1, however, he could not sustainably assert himself against experienced players like Julien Laporte or Leo Petrot. He did not stagnate, still made 18 appearances. But the longing for more playing time was undeniable.
A push in the right direction
Contact was made with Celtic through their relationship with Peter Grant. The 52-time Scottish champions were in search of a suitable back-up for Carl Starfelt and Stephen Welsh. Contact was made with Lorient, and the French first division club was willing to talk.
"Sometimes you just need a push in the right direction. Celtic causes a fascination in every neutral football fan. For me, Celtic has always been closely linked with the names Shunsuke Nakamura and Henrik Larsson. So within a few minutes, the decision was made: I'm doing this with Celtic. Even though I didn't sleep in Celtic bed linen as a child," Jenz told transfermarkt.de.
Jenz quickly made a name for himself in Scotland with his style of play. On his debut against Ross County, he immediately scored the winning goal, and a meme was subsequently circulating through the fan scene. His head was photoshopped onto that of a Mercedes car. The nickname "Mercedes" was born.
He benefited from the absences of the regulars Starfelt and Welsh and was allowed to play the full distance in all group games in the Champions League. He also played 33 minutes at the Old Firm.
Jenz gained important experience. But when Peter Knäbel came knocking in January, he didn't have to think twice. To play in the Bundesliga - that had always been his dream.
He had done his duty at Celtic, done an excellent job as a substitute. The US investor Bill Foley, who is also known to own AFC Bournemouth, had joined Lorient. Far more prominent names than Jenz's arrived at Brittany.
They were willing to talk and negotiated a loan until the end of the season. The contract also includes an obligation to buy. Should Schalke succeed in staying in the league, Jenz would have to be signed permanently for 4 million euros. Even though the financial problems at the Knappen are well known, they would gladly transfer this money.
And "Mercedes" has already expressed great interest in staying. He feels good there, and his partner is also expecting their first child soon. He thinks the support of the fans is great. After his debut for S04, he told the WAZ: "The way the fans back there go wild is amazing. It's constantly loud there - very cool."
On Saturday evening, he will once again be an important factor for Thomas Reis' gameplan in the 140th Revierderby. He identifies with Schalke, which is no disadvantage in the explosive duel with Dortmund. Jenz is a leader and an iron-hard defender.
At first glance, this might not seem to go so well with his hobbies. He prefers to visit museums. In interviews he appears calm and level-headed. But on the pitch, Moritz Jenz becomes Mercedes. A tower in the defence, an aggressive leader. Exactly what you need in a relegation battle.
