Borussia Mönchengladbach sacks head coach Eugen Polanski after 5-0 Freiburg defeat

Early exit after Freiburg rout

Borussia Mönchengladbach parted ways with head coach Eugen Polanski on Sunday following a 5-0 away defeat against SC Freiburg. The result left the Bundesliga side in last place after three matches, having collected zero points while conceding 12 goals and scoring three. Club officials held extensive discussions with the 40-year-old manager on Saturday evening immediately after the match before finalizing the decision the following morning. Reports varied on the exact procedural details of the departure, with Rheinische Post reporting that Polanski tendered his resignation, while Sky reported that the initiative originated entirely from the club leadership. Assistant coach Tobias Trulsen was also relieved of his duties as part of the coaching staff change.

Sporting leadership explains the dismissal

Sporting director Rouven Schröder addressed the separation on Sunday, pointing directly to the team's poor start in competitive fixtures.

Despite a good pre-season and positive signs, the team has not succeeded in achieving the desired results in the Bundesliga. The performances shown recently led to the decision to relieve Eugen of his duties with immediate effect.

Schröder had declined to endorse Polanski during post-match interviews in Freiburg, pointing to the tight schedule before the upcoming league pause.

You only have one game left, then you have a three-week international break. And you do not want to go into the international break with zero points.

Polanski expressed regret over the outcome in an official statement released by the club.

We had set ourselves ambitious goals, but we were not able to implement them. That hurts. I hope very much that Borussia turns things around quickly. I wish the club, the team and all the wonderful fans only the best.

Echoes of the 2025 coaching change

The dismissal represents the first managerial departure of the current Bundesliga season, mirroring events from twelve months earlier. In September 2025, Gladbach dismissed Swiss coach Gerardo Seoane after matchday three, placing Polanski in interim charge before extending his contract in November 2025 through June 2028. Polanski, who came through Gladbach's youth academy as a player and made his senior Bundesliga debut in 2005, recorded 108 matches on the sideline across his coaching stints with the club. He guided the team to a 12th-place league finish at the end of the 2025–2026 campaign, yet the team entered the new season under mounting pressure from portions of the supervisory board.

Interim management and succession plans

Assistant coach Jan-Moritz Lichte was appointed interim head coach on Sunday morning and will manage the team for the upcoming home match against 1. FSV Mainz 05. The 46-year-old coach joined Mönchengladbach during the summer from Manchester City's youth setup, having previously served as head coach of Mainz 05 between September and December 2020. The interim appointment gives the Gladbach management time to conduct a search for a permanent successor, with candidates such as Horst Steffen, Christian Eichner, and Dietmar Kühbauer entering public consideration. Club executives aim to install a permanent head coach by the start of the three-week international break following the Mainz fixture.