Gladbach’s guest appearance in Leipzig was also a reunion for Max Eberl and the Borussia fans who had remained loyal to him for years. In the meantime, hate has developed from love, which showed its ugly face. On Sunday, the 49-year-old commented on the hostilities.
Again and again the target of hostilities: Max Eberl.
IMAGO/Christian Schroedter
In terms of sport, the game was clear in the end, Leipzig defeated Borussia 3-0 – certainly a small satisfaction for Eberl, who had to put up with a lot during the game. “It affects me as a person. Yes, it hurts,” revealed Eberl on Sunday in the “double pass” on “Sport1”, referring to the hatred he was met with by some Borussia fans – already in the first leg there were serious misconduct from the Gladbach fan camp. Again.
During a TV interview, clearly insulting abusive songs could be heard in the direction of Eberl. In the course of the game, posters were then shown discrediting Eberl, accusing him of lying and also insulting him.
This did not go past Eberl, who defended himself on “Sky” on Saturday and found clear words with regard to the actions of the foal supporters: “It happens to people who put others in the crosshairs, run through the cities with iron bars and Light the fire. No further comments needed.”
Gladbach’s managing director Stephan Schippers justified the behavior. “Football fans are emotional and hurt feelings lead to statements that are sometimes a bit rough,” said the 55-year-old of the “‘Rheinische Post'” and continued: “In the run-up to the game, we asked them to moderate the choice of words, And we think that’s been heard too. Denigrating Gladbach fans doesn’t do justice to this huge, growing following, that’s not okay and totally out of place.”
Eberl justifies himself again
One of the less bad posters shown in Leipzig. 
IMAGO/Christian Schroedter
Eberl pointed out on Sunday that he did not mean all Gladbach fans, but only the parts of the scene that went beyond the strictness. It wasn’t the first time the manager had publicly defended himself. After his move to RB, which became known, Eberl made a clear statement and at the time also criticized the Borussia Mönchengladbach club.
Now he justified himself again. Above all, the allegations that he was acting were “absurd”, Eberl rumbled: “That’s just a lie, I was sick, I didn’t want to stop, I had to stop, that’s a huge difference – it’s completely negated”, emphasized Eberl now.
Answer to a question remains vague
Parts of the Gladbach fan scene accuse him of the fact that his burn-out diagnosis, which caused him to resign from his position as sporting director in Gladbach, was an “invented illness” that “then coincidentally and appropriately made his way to Leipzig ” leveled. In this context, Eberl was also described as a “character pig” who had switched “to the evil side of football”.
However, Eberl did not answer one question specifically – when asked why he had not returned to his old post in Gladbach after his recovery. It didn’t come to that because “just too much happened”.
