Borussia parts ways with Seoane

After a little more than two years in charge, Gerardo Seoane’s time as head coach of Borussia Mönchengladbach has come to an end. The decision, confirmed by both kicker and Sky, came in the aftermath of a crushing 4-0 defeat to Werder Bremen, a result that proved to be the final straw for the Gladbach hierarchy.

The heavy loss not only intensified pressure on Seoane but also highlighted the broader struggles the club has faced across the past two Bundesliga campaigns. Counting back into last season, the Bremen defeat marked the tenth consecutive league game without a victory for Gladbach. Even more troubling, it was the fifth straight match in which the team failed to find the back of the net an alarming drought for a club that has historically prided itself on attacking football.

In recent weeks, sporting director Roland Virkus had publicly backed Seoane, particularly after the goalless draw against Hamburger SV in the opening fixture of the new season and the narrow 1-0 defeat to VfB Stuttgart. At the time, Virkus praised the “positive development” within the squad despite poor results. However, patience ran out after the humiliation in Bremen. On Sunday evening, Virkus asked for a night of reflection before making a final call. By Monday morning, the decision was made: Seoane no longer had the backing of the board.

Ironically, Seoane still led the recovery training session that very morning, unaware that it would be his last as Gladbach head coach. His journey with the club began in the summer of 2023, when he was tasked with stabilizing a side in transition. Prior to joining Gladbach, the Swiss coach had endured a turbulent three-month stint at Bayer Leverkusen, where he struggled to maintain consistency despite flashes of promise.

At Gladbach, his record paints a mixed picture. In 78 competitive matches, Seoane managed just 25 wins. In Bundesliga play, his average of 1.13 points per game over 71 matches represents the weakest return for a Gladbach coach since Michael Frontzeck, who between 2009 and 2011 collected just 0.98 points per match. For a club with Champions League aspirations not so long ago, the decline under Seoane was increasingly difficult for fans and management to accept.

Still, there had been moments of progress. In his first season, Gladbach stumbled to a 14th-place finish with 34 points, dangerously close to the relegation zone. In the following year, Seoane oversaw an improvement as the team climbed to 10th with 45 points. Yet, the revival proved short-lived. The final stretch of that campaign saw form collapse once again, and the negative momentum carried into the current season.

One of the defining challenges for Seoane was the loss of top striker Tim Kleindienst. The forward, who delivered 16 goals and nine assists last season, became unavailable, leaving a void that the coach struggled to fill. Without Kleindienst’s clinical edge, Gladbach’s attack looked toothless, and the lack of creativity in the final third only deepened frustrations. Seoane’s attempts to reshuffle tactics and rotate personnel yielded little improvement, leaving the side vulnerable and predictable.

The timing of his dismissal also underscores the unforgiving nature of the Bundesliga this season. Seoane becomes the second managerial casualty of the campaign, following Erik ten Hag, who was dismissed by Bayer Leverkusen after just two matches. The rapid turnover highlights the high-pressure environment in German football, where early-season results can drastically alter a coach’s fate.

Adding further intrigue, Gladbach’s next match is a high-stakes derby against Bayer Leverkusen, the very club where Seoane previously endured his unsuccessful spell. The irony will not be lost on supporters, particularly as Leverkusen have just secured an impressive 3-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt under their new coach, Kasper Hjulmand. The contrast between Leverkusen’s revival and Gladbach’s decline sharpens the sense of urgency for the Fohlen to find stability and direction.

Seoane’s departure raises immediate questions about Gladbach’s future. Who will step in to steady the ship? The club, which only a decade ago was competing in the Champions League and nurturing talents like Marco Reus, Granit Xhaka, and Marc-André ter Stegen, now finds itself struggling for mid-table relevance. Restoring identity and competitiveness will not be easy, especially in a Bundesliga landscape where rivals like Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, and even mid-table sides such as Freiburg and Union Berlin have built strong, sustainable projects.

For Seoane personally, the dismissal represents another setback in a managerial career that once seemed destined for rapid ascent. Having enjoyed success at Young Boys in Switzerland, he was considered one of Europe’s promising young coaches. But with failed spells at both Leverkusen and Gladbach now on his CV, his next move will be critical in determining whether he can revive his reputation or risks being remembered as a coach who struggled to adapt to the demands of top-level German football.

As Gladbach prepare for their derby clash and begin the search for a new head coach, the club’s supporters are left reflecting on a difficult period marked by inconsistency, missed opportunities, and declining standards. The hope among fans is that a change on the sidelines will provide the spark needed to halt the slide and begin rebuilding towards the kind of footballing identity that once made Borussia Mönchengladbach one of Germany’s most exciting clubs.