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Shock at Borussia Mönchengladbach: Virkus resigns – who will be his successor?
Roland Virkus resigns; Borussia Mönchengladbach is looking for a new sports director. Who are the favorites? Details about the situation.
Shock at Borussia Mönchengladbach: Virkus resigns – who will be his successor?
The resignation of Roland Virkus as sports director of Borussia Mönchengladbach poses major challenges for the club. After over 30 years of serving in various positions, Virkus' decision to return to the background was seen as necessary to get the club back on track. Under his leadership, the team only finished 10th and 14th in the Bundesliga in the last three seasons, which led to a deep fall in the current season: After five games, Gladbach is in last place and has not won a league game since the end of March. This worrying form also led to the dismissal of coach Gerardo Seoane, while Eugen Polanski took charge of the last two games on an interim basis. Club president Rainer Bonhof made it clear that a new sporting direction was urgently needed in order to avoid the threat of unrest during the season, especially with the important upcoming game against Freiburg behind us.
Speculation about Virkus' successor is already gaining momentum. Numerous names are circulating in the rumor mill, including Marinko Jurendic, Jonas Boldt and Martin Schmidt. Alternatively, some internal candidates, such as Steffen Korell, who acts as scouting director, and Mirko Sandmöller, who leads the youth team, also have the chance to follow in Virkus' footsteps. Surprisingly, Christoph Kramer is also considered a possible “manager trainee”. The current player and 2014 World Cup winner has just started further training in “Management in Professional Football” and is actively thinking about his future after his playing career.
Who could replace Virkus?
Although the pool of potential successors is large, it is now crucial to act quickly. Ultimately, those responsible must fill the sporting leadership with someone who can combine both over-visionary wishes and sporting pragmatics. In particular, the name Lutz Pfannenstiel is under discussion after he turned down FC Aberdeen, which indicates serious interest in the position at Gladbach.
Internal upheaval or new wind?
- Steffen Korell (Scoutingdirektor)
- Mirko Sandmöller (Nachwuchschef)
- Christoph Kramer (aktiver Spieler und zukünftiger Manager)
The challenges for the new sports director are not getting any easier: Responsibility includes, among other things, squad planning, transfer activities and player contracts. A strategic orientation of the sporting area is essential not only to keep Gladbach in a safe harbor, but also to get it back on track DFB Academy explained. Persuasive skills and a good knack for dealing with media, fans and sponsors are also required. The coming weeks are likely to be crucial, both for the sporting future and for the fallen mood around the club. So Borussia Mönchengladbach is at a crossroads and hopes to set sail in the right direction.