After the embarrassing quarter-final exit in the DFB Cup in Saarbrücken, Borussia Mönchengladbach’s sports director Roland Virkus took his team harshly to task. “I have no understanding at all for the team’s performance in the second half,” said the 57-year-old after the 2-1 defeat to the third division team. “I am totally disappointed and cannot understand the manner in which the elimination occurred.” There was a lack of “focus for a full 90 or 120 minutes.”
Against the surprise team from Saarland, which plays two leagues lower and is now the third Bundesliga club in a row to be knocked out of the cup after FC Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt, the Gladbach team unnecessarily allowed the game to be taken out of their hands in the final phase.
“You can’t blame the team for not working. We were highly superior in the second half, pinned Saarbrücken in their own penalty area, but we didn’t have a chance to score either. Then as a team you have to have enough feeling to take the game into overtime in order to regroup. We didn’t manage that. “Something like that becomes a question of quality at some point,” complained Virkus.
“But that accompanies us a little bit throughout the entire season. We started 25 minutes brilliantly and had five or six 100% chances to score. If we score the goal it’s quiet, but we can’t do that. I expect solutions from the team and solutions from the staff.” The defeat disappointed him “extremely”.
Virkus was also bitter about the late knock-out in stoppage time because the Gladbachers carelessly squandered a chance for the title. “I come from Gladbach myself and know what it means for the fans and the club, which is why the elimination disappoints me even more. I feel sorry for every fan who came here for the second time expecting us to reach the semi-finals. They are understandably disappointed,” Virkus said.
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After the final whistle, some Gladbach supporters climbed over the fence of the visitors’ block and confronted the players on the sidelines. “I can understand that one-on-one,” said Virkus: “It’s hard to find words after a game like this.” It was “a used evening” and a “hard blow” for Borussia, added coach Gerardo Seoane.
Now it is important to learn appropriate lessons, warned the sports director. The team can implement this on Saturday (3:30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky): Then the twelfth place in the Bundesliga will go to 1. FC Heidenheim.
