Club Officials Impose Closed Training Ahead of Gladbach’s Cologne Derby

Borussia Mönchengladbach supporters hoping to observe rehabilitation sessions this week face a closed facility after club officials canceled all public viewing hours, leaving the Bundesliga’s bottom-placed side to prepare behind shut doors under new head coach Alexander Blessin.

Alexander Blessin Imposes Closed Training and a 3-4-3 Shape

Mönchengladbach announced that all visitor access to the club’s training sessions is suspended. The revised schedule issued by the club lists closed-door sessions for Wednesday morning and afternoon, Thursday morning, Friday morning, and Saturday afternoon.

Blessin, who took charge as the third head coach of the season following the dismissals of Eugen Polanski and interim manager Jan-Moritz Lichte, has utilized the two-week period since his appointment to implement a 3-4-3 tactical formation. During recent test matches—including a 3-0 victory against fourth-tier side Sportfreunde Siegen and a 1-1 draw with 2. Bundesliga club FC St. Pauli—the 53-year-old manager began testing his preferred system while integrating acquisitions Daiki Hashioka, Jan Leszczynski, and Juchym Konoplja.

Despite the tactical adjustments, Blessin voiced sharp criticism following the St. Pauli friendly regarding defensive discipline. We conceded a few chances because we were sleeping, Blessin stated, adding that the team was occasionally sluggish in defensive cover and slow to react after winning or losing possession.

Prekar Situation and Historical Context at Borussia-Park

Borussia Mönchengladbach enters the weekend anchored to the bottom of the Bundesliga table with zero points and a minus-ten goal differential after opening the season with four consecutive defeats—conceding 16 goals while scoring six. Previous losses included a 3-0 defeat at Leipzig, a 3-4 loss to Elversberg, a 5-0 setback at Freiburg, and a 4-3 home defeat against Mainz under Lichte.

Speaking to media representatives during his introductory press conference beneath the stadium’s Wir sind die Fohlenelf banner, Blessin addressed the club’s trajectory frankly. The situation is precarious, Blessin said. The team has a few problems. Where we want to go footballing-wise, there is still a long way to go. We want to turn a sh*t time into a good time.

The club’s iconic nickname dates back to the 1960s, when a journalist described the Mönchengladbach squad as the Fohlenelf (Colts Eleven)—a term the club subsequently protected for merchandising. Blessin noted the deep roots of the tradition upon his arrival, observing the bronze foal monument outside the Borussia-Park stadium and the adjacent Fohlenstall football boarding school.

Squad Dynamics and the Upcoming Rhein-Derby in Cologne

Blessin emphasized that no player has been written off as the squad prepares for the weekend fixture, explicitly mentioning that Florian Neuhaus and club captain Tim Kleindienst remain part of his plans. Nobody is being shaved off, Blessin said regarding both players, addressing public discussions surrounding Kleindienst’s recent team criticism.

The new coach outlined specific demands for his squad ahead of Sunday’s fixture, calling for heightened group dynamics, readiness, self-confidence, intensity, courage, duel-willingness, and a tangible hunger to regain possession. He also highlighted the attacking depth provided by forwards Tim Kleindienst, Isac Lidberg, Franck Honorat, Robin Hack, and Shuto Machino.

Borussia Mönchengladbach travels away to face 1. FC Köln this Sunday, with kickoff scheduled for 15.30 local time, confirming that the match will proceed before spectators despite earlier speculation surrounding public access.