Mainz 05 officially announced on Tuesday that they have signed a contract extension with Anthony Casillas. The new contract extends the contract by two years, from its original expiration date of 2026, to June 30, 2028.

Casillas has been sidelined since late September due to a right hamstring injury and is not expected to return until December this year. Despite this, Mainz still expressed their confidence in Casillas by renewing his contract. After the player signed the contract, sports director Nico Bongert said: "Anthony Casillas has grown into an absolute core player in our team and is deeply loved by the fans. During this period, he has experienced all the ups and downs with us and always stepped up at the critical moment. His solid ball control, accurate reading of the game, and great progress on the defensive end make him an ideal candidate for our wing position. His choice to renew his contract in advance at this time is an excellent signal for the club, the team and even the fans."

Casillas, 28, was born in Forbach, France, and joined Strasbourg's youth system in 2011. Since making his professional debut in the French League Cup on August 23, 2016, he has made 119 appearances for Strasbourg, scoring two goals and providing 10 assists, winning one French League Cup with the team.

In July 2022, Casillas joined Mainz 05 on a free transfer. He mainly played as right midfielder, left midfielder and center back for Mainz. So far, he has made 107 appearances, contributed 5 goals and 14 assists.

After completing the contract extension, Casillas said in a statement: "For me, renewing my contract with Mainz 05 is the best decision at the moment - I feel very comfortable here, my family lives not far away, and I come to support every game. I completed the contract extension at this critical stage to express my deep affection for the club and the fans. I can feel the trust of the coach and teammates every day, and the support of the fans is unparalleled. I am deeply encouraged by this."

Casillas concluded: "I am training hard every day and strive to return to the field as soon as possible to contribute to the team. We will work together to do our best for the fans and achieve a reversal on the field." Mainz had a weak start to the season. After 8 rounds, it ranked third from the bottom in the Bundesliga with 1 win, 1 draw, 6 losses and 4 points.