Full Breakdown
Borussia Mönchengladbach dismisses Eugen Polanski after disastrous start
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event – Early-season coaching change
After three consecutive Bundesliga defeats – a 3-0 loss at RB Leipzig, a 4-3 home defeat to newly promoted Elversberg and a 5-0 away loss to SC Freiburg – Borussia Mönchengladbach announced on Sunday that head coach Eugen Polanski and assistant Tobias Trulsen had been relieved of their duties. The decision came less than a year after Polanski had been appointed as Gerardo Seoane’s successor and confirmed as permanent manager in November 2025.
Background & Context – A troubled rebuild
Polanski, a former Gladbach youth product, was promoted from the under-23 side to the first-team bench in September 2025 as the club attempted a squad overhaul. Sporting director Rouven Schröder added eleven new players and shifted the team back to a back-four formation. Pre-season results and a 5-0 victory in the opening DFB-Pokal round had raised optimism, but the Bundesliga campaign quickly exposed the fragility of those expectations.
Data & Statistics – The numbers behind the crisis
- Points after three matchdays: 0 (the worst start in club history).
- Goals scored: 3; goals conceded: 12, goal-difference -9.
- Defensive record: three red-card incidents, including captain Tim Kleindienst’s dismissal against Freiburg.
- Polanski’s overall record at Gladbach: 37 competitive matches, 11 wins, 10 draws, 16 defeats, averaging 1.16 points per match, below Seoane’s 1.0 point average.
Official Statements & Responses – Club and coach react
Sporting director Rouven Schröder said the team’s “good pre-season and positive signs” had not translated into the desired Bundesliga results, emphasizing the need to “get back to work” and focus on earning points. Polanski expressed personal disappointment, noting that “Borussia Mönchengladbach was and remains my club” and that he was “truly sorry” the season’s ambitions could not be realised.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Despite a good pre-season and positive signs, the team have not managed to achieve the desired results in the Bundesliga. Recent performances led to the decision to relieve Eugen of his duties with immediate effect.” — Rouven Schröder, sporting director
- “Eugen is a Borussia man through and through. We would like to thank him, as well as Tobias Trulsen, for their commitment to Borussia.” — Rouven Schröder, sporting director
- “Borussia Mönchengladbach was and remains my club. That is why it hurts so immensely that things have turned out this way. After successfully avoiding relegation, we made a few changes for this season. We had set ambitious goals but could not deliver on them. I am truly sorry about that.” — Eugen Polanski, head coach
What’s Next – Interim leadership and upcoming fixture
The club appointed Jan-Moritz Lichte – a 46-year-old former Manchester City academy coach with prior Bundesliga head-coach experience at Mainz 05 – as interim manager. Lichte will oversee Gladbach’s next match, a home game against Mainz 05 scheduled for the upcoming weekend. The board indicated that a permanent appointment will be considered after the interim period, with candidates such as Ole Werner, Horst Steffen and Alexander Blessin reportedly under review.