Polanski the first managerial victim of Bundesliga season as Gladbach fail again | Andy Brassell
Borussia Mönchengladbach have sacked head coach Eugen Polanski after just three Bundesliga games this season, becoming the first managerial casualty of the campaign. The decision followed a heavy 5-0 defeat at Freiburg on Saturday, which capped a wretched start including a blown 3-1 lead against Elversberg the previous week, and underlines the club's ongoing struggles since parting with Gerardo Seoane at the same stage last season. Polanski, a boyhood Gladbach player who rose through the academy, had been brought in to stabilise the club less than a year ago but never had the squad quality or resources to succeed.
At Freiburg, Gladbach fell 2-0 behind within half an hour before captain Tim Kleindienst was sent off for two yellow cards, with former Gladbach players Yannik Engelhardt and Matthias Ginter combining for the damage. In a heartfelt statement, Polanski said the club "was and always will be my club" and apologised for failing to meet expectations after last season's escape from relegation. The piece points to deeper structural problems, including the loss of key players such as Marcus Thuram and Ramy Bensebaini on free transfers and questions now facing sporting director Rouven Schröder, warning Gladbach risk following other "fallen giants" into the 2.Bundesliga.
- Gladbach sack coach Eugen Polanski after three games this season
- 5-0 defeat at Freiburg, capped a poor start to the campaign
- Club risks relegation to 2.Bundesliga amid deeper structural decline
New here? Start with this
Borussia Mönchengladbach are a major German football club currently competing in the Bundesliga, the country's top division. Like many "fallen giants" of German football, the club has struggled in recent years to match its past success, particularly after losing key players and going through repeated changes of head coach. Eugen Polanski, who previously played for Gladbach as a youngster, had only been in the manager's job for under a year, taking over following the exit of his predecessor, Gerardo Seoane, around this time last season.
The Bundesliga is Germany's premier football league, and a poor start to a season often puts pressure on a club's head coach, who is responsible for team selection, tactics and results. Rouven Schröder, as sporting director, is one of the senior figures overseeing the club's broader footballing decisions, including transfers and managerial appointments.
This story matters because it reflects wider concerns about the direction of a once-successful club, including the departure of established players and the risk of continued decline, with the 2. Bundesliga being the second tier of German football that clubs can be relegated into if results do not improve.