Patrick Mainka
Patrick Mainka (born 6 November 1994) is a German footballer who plays as a centre-back and is the captain of Bundesliga club 1. FC Heidenheim. He was born in Gütersloh and played youth football for Victoria Clarholz and FSC Rheda before joining Arminia Bielefeld's academy in 2009. He made his professional début for Arminia Bielefeld on 15 December 2013 as a late substitute in a 4–1 win over Greuther Fürth.
After leaving Arminia Bielefeld in 2014, Mainka joined Werder Bremen II, helping them win promotion to the 3. Liga. In January 2016 he moved to Borussia Dortmund II, where he became a regular starter and even served as captain. In 2018 he joined 1. FC Heidenheim on a two-year contract and quickly became a key player. He scored his first goal for Heidenheim in May 2019 in a 3–2 defeat to Sandhausen and was a regular starter in the 2018–19 season.
Mainka’s contract with Heidenheim was extended in November 2019 to a new deal through 2024, and he was named captain in 2021. He was part of the Heidenheim team that earned promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in the club’s history in 2023. In December 2023 his contract was extended to 2027, and in August 2025 it was extended again to 2029. He has played every minute of Heidenheim’s first two Bundesliga seasons, making him only the third player in Bundesliga history to do so, after Christian Günter and Philipp Lahm. He wears the number 6 shirt for Heidenheim.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:23 (CET).