Lars Stindl talks about Gladbach time, Maradona & World Cup 2018

Conceivable future as a coach

Ex-national player Lars Stindl can imagine a second career as a coach or in other areas of football before he leaves the Bundesliga. “It’s quite possible, because the coaching job appeals to me, initially in the youth sector,” said the captain of Borussia Mönchengladbach, who will end his professional career next season at home with second division club Karlsruher SC, the “Kicker”. He has already acquired the B+ license. In addition, the 375-time Bundesliga player looked back on his highlights and the biggest disappointments during the time in the “Fohlen” jersey – we expressed optimism about the upcoming squad upheaval in the Lower Rhine.

Stindl has been playing for Gladbach for eight years and has been captain for seven. In the current season, the “foals-elf” are in table 11. nothing more, but the team of controversial coach Daniel Farke could still influence the relegation battle in the home game against FC Augsburg on the last day of the game. With a view to his approaching departure, Stindl primarily regrets two things. “The closer the day of my farewell gets, the more often I think about how much I would have liked to put a really big exclamation mark with this club. A title with Borussia – that would have been it,” he said, adding: “For weeks I’ve been thinking about the moments when we missed something big.”

Stindl on Gladbach farewell: “Thought to even stop completely”

“In 2017, we lost the cup semi-final against Frankfurt on penalties. A month before the end of the Europa League against Schalke. We were clearly the better team twice and are eliminated after two draws. It’s still hard for me to grasp today. In the intermediate round we eliminated AC Fiorentina, so we all agreed: this year we can land the really big thing. And then two dreams burst in quick succession. Those were two of the most difficult moments of my time in Gladbach,” the attacking midfielder looked back.

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The feedback on his decision to leave the club was “mixed”, continued Stindl, who did not want to comment on his goals with Karlsruher SC from the summer at this point in time. “There are many who would have believed I could do another year because it is physically right and my performance is okay. Others think it’s great that I’ve decided to take this step right now. You have to consider that the decision was made for purely private reasons. We want to go back home. And every day since I’ve said it, it feels more right. At times I thought about quitting altogether. But the desire for football was still far too great for that,” reported the native of Speyer.

Lars Stindl on losing the 2018 World Cup: “That was my big chance”

Stindl described his syndesmose tear in 2018, which cost him his participation in the World Cup in Russia, as the most difficult time personally in Mönchengladbach: “If you’re not a world-class player, but just a very good Bundesliga player like me, then you only get this chance once in your life. 2018 was my big chance because everything was going well then, including winning the Confederations Cup a year earlier. The World Cup was already brutally painful. Being able to play a World Cup for Germany is the greatest thing.”

In retrospect, the professional is satisfied with his DFB record of eleven international matches and four goals. “I also consider winning the 2017 Confederations Cup, with my winning goal in the final, to be one of the highlights of my career. This tournament was huge for me. (…) At the awards ceremony, I shook hands with Diego Armando Maradona. Maradona! An idol of my childhood! I’ll tell the story about Maradona to my children one day. That was a very special moment for me.”

Stindl said about the future of Borussia Mönchengladbach, who had fallen far short of expectations in terms of sport in the current season: “The club is not in an easy situation. There is dissatisfaction after the past one and a half or two years and changes are pending in the team. But I have a positive feeling. This club has great potential, so much impact and energy that everything can develop very quickly in the desired direction. The club is healthy, there are healthy structures in place. I’m optimistic.”

With the recent signing of Benfica loanee Julian Weigl and the transfer of Hertha talent Lukas Ullrich, two newcomers (lean returnees excluded) have already been confirmed for the new season at Borussia. In addition to Stindl, Burnley loanee Jordan Beyer via a purchase option as well as attacker Marcus Thuram and left-back Ramy Bensebaini will also leave the traditional club in the summer. The outgoing captain described the forthcoming squad change as a “great opportunity for the team”: “It is known that a blood refreshment is pending, and new players will also bring other impulses. It’s very important that the team restructure itself, also in terms of hierarchy, because the team has lost a number of leading players in recent years. But it doesn’t need one boss at all, as before, a group has to be found that takes responsibility.”

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