Borussia Mönchengladbach’s plan under Daniel Farke to take the club forward stalled last season with Foals repeating their tenth place finish from 2021/22, but with two fewer points. Underperformance was once more the keyword and coach Farke paid with his job. Now, the Foals are embarking on another fresh start under Gerardo Seoane with the target once more to push the Rhine giants back into the European places.
Not since the 2019/20 season has a Gladbach coach managed to lead the club into Europe. Marco Rose’s fourth place finish reflected just where an ambitious club such as Borussia should be finishing, but for the past three seasons, they have not really come close to the levels they demand.
When the fans began to turn against the coach and players last season the writing was on the wall for Daniel Farke. ‘We’ve had enough’ was the chant during the 5-2 defeat at Dortmund and they literally turned their backs to the pitch.
The new man given the task of instigating a fresh start at the club is Swiss trainer Gerardo Seoane- a man who is also getting a fresh start and a chance to redeem himself in the Bundesliga. Seoane led Bayer Leverkusen into the Champions League in his first season, but was sacked last season after just eight league matches with the Werkself 17th in the table and floundering badly.
It’s not just the coaching staff that has seen an overhaul- the Gladbach’s squad is also going to look much different with a host of key players moving on and new blood being brought in by sporting director Roland Virkus. Marcus Thuram, Ramy Bensebaini, Lars Stindl, Jonas Hofmann (and soon Nico Elvedi) have all departed and the new coach has the job of moulding the newcomers into a functioning unit capable of finishing in a much more respectable league position for a club of Mönchengladbach’s standing.
“Our football should be honest. Sometimes we will try to play a more attractive style, other times we won’t. The players should always be giving their best on the pitch and support one another,” stressed Seoane, who wants the fans to support the team’s journey, even after possible setbacks.
“I’m sure that the fans will understand that a rebuild is a process that takes time. So far though, the support has been great and I’m confident it will help push us on this season.”
Pre-season has seen positive signs and the first competitive fixture of the season saw a big win in the Pokal with an 7-0 thrashing of TuS Bersenbrück. “It was a brilliant evening of football – a full stadium, a great atmosphere, lots of chances and lots of goals” the new coach said afterwards. “We needed a little time to get going, find our game and offer a threat. I think that we used the wings really well and got at their backline.
“Our opponents were lacking the energy at times, and that opened up spaces for us. We created a lot in front of goal and converted a good amount of our chances, although there were some we didn’t take. We still have a lot of work ahead of us.”
Everyone associated with the club will be hoping that that work pays off and the Foals can improve this season. The club are looking to return to the European places and Gerardo Seoane is looking to restore his impressive reputation that suffered a blow last season at Leverkusen. The club and coach cannot afford ‘another fresh start’ next season.
