Aymen Barkok used the winter break differently than usual.

The Bundesliga professional, who switched from Eintracht Frankfurt to FSV Mainz 05 last summer, went on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia to visit the holy places of Islam.

He stayed in Mecca for six days and in Medina for three more.

"In Germany, Christmas was also a time of contemplation," he says at the training camp in Marbella, where the Rheinhessen work for a week, "and I wanted to have a new experience in the sense of my faith.

It was my first time there and it was a nice few days that did me good.”

It should be noted that Barkok's journey was not the great pilgrimage known as the Hajj, which is obligatory for every devout Muslim, provided he is physically able and can afford it financially.

“For me it was the umrah, the little pilgrimage.

This is possible at any time, and it is enough to be in Mecca for just one day.

For me it was about refreshing my mind a bit.”

His daily routine was clearly structured: “You get up, eat, pray and sleep.

You can imagine that as intensive meditation.” The 24-year-old returned not only mentally strengthened, but also with a changed hairstyle.

"It wasn't an obligation to shave my hair completely," he says, "but it's something new." And yes, the shaved head should also be understood as a football declaration of war.

Barkok hasn't made the breakthrough in Mainz after half a year.

The German-Moroccan, who was born and raised in Frankfurt, made 58 Bundesliga appearances for Eintracht and 15 for Fortuna Düsseldorf in the meantime, has only been on the pitch regularly since the tenth matchday, finishing sixth in the league and in the DFB Cup Substituted twice - with an increasing form curve including a goal in the 3-0 cup win in Lübeck.

Coach Svensson: "He follows words with deeds"

"In the beginning it wasn't what I had imagined," says Barkok.

Among other things, he missed the preparatory games "because it had pinched again a few weeks after an appendectomy.

And then you first had to get into the team processes, get to know the coach, the game idea.

It didn't go so well at first, but it did a little better in the end and I hope it continues."

The technically gifted attacking player is one of those (new) players in the Mainz squad that Bo Svensson says needs to back up their claims for more playing time with performances.

However, the coach also certifies Barkok: "He follows words with deeds.

I've rarely seen him as fit and present as he is now.

He has to keep at it, he has to reach his limits.”

Aymen Barkok cannot be accused of letting himself down during the unsatisfactory weeks.

On the contrary: The midfielder, who prefers to see himself in the eighth position, approached Svensson with a request to be allowed to play a game in the U23s.

It was unusual enough in itself that the regional league team played in Aalen that weekend – Barkok followed the team to the Swabian Jura and played the entire distance in the 2-0 win.

"I'm not too bad for anything," he says.

"That was a good 90 minutes, after that things went a little better with the pros."

Of course, Barkok's balance sheet can be greatly expanded, but he's working on it.

In Andalusia, as well as in the further course of the preparation, he wants to make it difficult for Svensson not to field him.

Who in turn says whether someone is used always depends on the player himself “in connection with the competition.

If one doesn't play, it has something to do with both.

And we have good competition in midfield."

According to Svensson, Barkok accepted it.

"In my perception, I find him a bit snappier than I experienced him in the first few months.

You can clearly see that he wants to show himself.” Scoring more goals, providing assists, completing actions in the last third are things that Barkok believes he needs to improve on.

"And in the important aspect of the game against the ball, I think I can get a bit more aggressive."