Gerardo Seoane has been sacked as Borussia Mönchengladbach manager after a disastrous start to the Bundesliga season. USMNT player Gio Reyna will now face another coaching change as the club seeks to turn their fortunes around.
Borussia Mönchengladbach have begun their Bundesliga campaign in disastrous fashion, leading to the swift dismissal of head coach Gerardo Seoane. The decision, announced on Monday, comes after a winless and, crucially, goalless start to the season, piling pressure on the club and its players.
Seoane, appointed in June 2023, was unable to engineer a turnaround in form, with the team’s struggles extending back to the previous season. His final match in charge was a humbling 4-0 defeat to Werder Bremen, a result that left Mönchengladbach languishing at the bottom of the table with just one point from three games.
Sporting director Roland Virkus explained the decision, stating the club had “lost faith that a turnaround with Gerardo can succeed.” This marks the second managerial change in the Bundesliga this season, following Erik ten Hag’s departure from Bayer Leverkusen earlier in September. Seoane’s tenure at Gladbach saw only one victory across all competitions, a match against a fifth-tier side in the German Cup.
The timing of this change is particularly significant for United States international Gio Reyna, who recently joined Mönchengladbach from Borussia Dortmund. Reyna made his debut for his new club in the aforementioned 4-0 loss, and now finds himself facing yet another coaching transition in a short space of time. Adapting to new tactical approaches and expectations can be challenging for any player, and this situation adds an extra layer of complexity to Reyna’s integration into the team.
Seoane’s dismissal echoes a pattern of instability at Mönchengladbach, a club that enjoyed a period of success reaching the Champions League round of 16 in the 2020-21 season. However, since then, the team has struggled to maintain that level of performance, failing to qualify for European competition in recent years. Last season, under Seoane, they finished 10th in the Bundesliga.
The club has appointed Eugen Polanski, the coach of their under-23 team, as interim manager “until further notice.” Polanski will be tasked with steering the ship as Mönchengladbach prepare for a difficult away match against Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday. The pressure will be on Polanski to quickly instill a sense of stability and direction within the squad.
Seoane’s own managerial journey has been marked by periods of promise and ultimately, disappointment. His previous spell at Bayer Leverkusen ended prematurely in October 2022 when the team found themselves second-from-last in the league. Ironically, his replacement at Leverkusen, Xabi Alonso, went on to lead the club to a remarkable Bundesliga and German Cup double the following season.
The situation at Mönchengladbach highlights the intense scrutiny and demands placed on managers in the modern game. A slow start to the season, coupled with a lack of goals, proved to be a fatal combination for Seoane. Now, all eyes will be on Gio Reyna and his teammates as they attempt to navigate this challenging period under new leadership.
The club’s supporters will be hoping that Polanski can spark a revival and restore some pride to the team. The upcoming match against Leverkusen will be a stern test, but it also presents an opportunity to demonstrate a renewed sense of determination and fight. The future of Mönchengladbach, and Gio Reyna’s role within it, hangs in the balance.
