“Bold, more dynamic, Gladbach DNA”: Seoane gets started

Gladbach’s new coach Gerardo Seoane at his official presentation.

IMAGO/jdp

Continuity in the coaching position is what sporting director Roland Virkus really wants. Because the two predecessors of Seoane vacated their posts after just one season each. Neither under Adi Hütter nor most recently under Daniel Farke was there any resounding success.

After a season with many sporting disappointments and few highlights, after 10th place in the final standings, Borussia wants to find itself again. An impetus has been set with Gerardo Seoane, the Swiss has made a name for himself, especially with the Young Boys Bern in Switzerland, when he won the Swiss championship three times and the Swiss cup once between 2018 and 2021.

Now the 44-year-old, who signed a contract until 2026, should get Borussia back on track, ensure more success and a more attractive style of play. This is of course a major task for the new coach, after the Gladbach team had recently lacked passion, commitment and resilience.

The new man, who will be coach at Bayer Leverkusen until October 2022, also has to get the latent defensive weakness under control. In recent years there have been 56, then 61, and most recently 55 goals; here, too, Seoane has to pull the trigger. At his presentation on Friday in Borussia Park, in a dark shirt and with dark hair lying close to his head, with a sympathetic Swiss accent, Seoane gave at least a small insight into how he intends to tackle the task in Mönchengladbach.

A “development process” is needed to see the Gladbach DNA back on the pitch in the near future. Important for the Swiss: his team should appear more dynamic, a certain speed, snappy and strong in tackles.

Seoane demands a “high level of activity on the pitch” from his professionals

He always found the atmosphere in Borussia Park, which he has seen as a spectator a few times, impressive. His “yes” to Borussia was also accompanied by the knowledge of the size of the club and the prospect of working “at a traditional club with an incredible fan base,” says Seoane. In addition, it is of course important for him as a family man that he felt very comfortable with his family in the Rhineland even when he was in Leverkusen.

The squad is still being turned inside out, so the Borussia coach can’t go into detail just yet. Overall, however, he demands “a high level of activity on the pitch, with and without the ball, from his professionals, we want to play courageously and not hesitantly.” Of course, his job also includes “developing young players and promoting professionals who take the next step in Mönchengladbach” and then – as has been the model for years of success – reselling them for a significant profit.

“Everyone knows,” says the coach, “that the last few years have been a bit difficult. We and our staff will not only start here in terms of football, but of course also in the mental area.”

The official start for the new Borussia coach is when training begins on July 9; two days beforehand, the performance diagnostics professionals arrive in Mönchengladbach. From July 23rd to 30th Borussia will traditionally contest their training camp in Rottach-Egern am Tegernsee.