Thuram & Co. at Borussia Mönchengladbach: Virkus will “fight for the boys”

Gladbach sports director wants to rebuild

Staying up in the league is almost certain, and yet the to-do list for Borussia Mönchengladbach’s new sporting director Roland Virkus is full to bursting after the 2-0 win at bottom SpVgg Greuther Fürth on Saturday. About a year after the famous Champions League season with the end in the round of 16, a rebuilding must and should be done. Since 2019, the Borussia squad has only changed selectively.

“The structures within the group are perhaps a bit encrusted and need to be broken up. A breath of fresh air certainly doesn’t hurt if a team stays together for so long,” confirmed Virkus in an interview with the “foosball”. The manager assumes that the planned upheaval “will stretch over several transfer periods”. Squad planner Steffen Korell had previously admitted that he had to sell one or the other player “without being able to replace them with an equivalent”.

That means: from the summer, the boys on the Lower Rhine will also have to take on responsibility. The 20-year-old midfielder Manu Koné, who initiated Marcus Thuram’s 1-0 lead against Fürth on Saturday, could slip into this role. The two full-backs Luca Netz (18) and Joe Scally (19) are also among the hopefuls who are said to have great potential for development. But Virkus knows that you are not competitive with an A-youth in the Bundesliga.

With the most expensive purchases and sales: Manager Eberl’s biggest deals in Gladbach

From 2009 to January 2022, Max Eberl was responsible for Gladbach’s transfers…

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The most notable deals of this time are summarized here in the gallery.

Marko Marin – In the club until 2009

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Sold to Werder Bremen (since 2005 in the Gladbach youth team) for €8.2m

Marco Reus – At the club from 2009 to 2012

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Bought from RW Ahlen for €1m, sold to Borussia Dortmund for €17.1m

Oscar Wendt – In the club from 2011 to 2021

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Came on a free transfer from Copenhagen, one of 18 players in Gladbach’s history with at least 300 appearances.

Granit Xhaka – At the club from 2012 to 2016

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Bought from FC Basel for €8.5m, sold to Arsenal for €45m (Most expensive sale in Gladbach history)

Álvaro Domínguez – At the club from 2012 to 2016

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Bought for €10m, Eberl’s first eight-figure transfer, Domínguez ended his career at Gladbach.

Luuk de Jong – At the club from 2012 to 2014

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Bought from Enschede for €12m, sold to Eindhoven for €7m (incl. rental fee) (at the time most expensive signing in Gladbach history)

Max Kruse – In the club from 2013 to 2015

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Bought for €2.5m. from Freiburg, sold to VfL Wolfsburg for €12m

Marc-André ter Stegen – In the club until 2014

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Sold for €12m to FC Barcelona (in the Gladbach youth team since 1996)

Yann Sommer – in the club since 2014

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Bought from FC Basel for €9m

Lars Stindl – In the club since 2015

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Bought by Hannover 96 for €3m (highest market value at Gladbach: €18m)

Mahmoud Dahoud – At the club until 2017

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Sold to Borussia Dortmund for €12m (in the Gladbach youth team since 2010)

Fabian Johnson – At the club from 2014 to 2020

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Came on a free transfer from Hoffenheim (highest market value at Gladbach: €7m)

Jannik Vestergaard – At the club from 2016 to 2018

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Bought from Werder Bremen for €12.5m, sold to Southampton FC for €25m

Michaël Cuisance – At the club from 2017 to 2019

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Bought by AS Nancy for €250,000, sold to FC Bayern for €8m

Christoph Kramer – In the club since 2016

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Bought by Bayer Leverkusen for €15m

Matthias Ginter – In the club from 2017 to 2022

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Bought from BVB for €17m, Gladbach will leave on a free transfer in the summer at the latest

Thorgan Hazard – At the club from 2014 to 2019

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Bought for €8m (+1.5m loan fee) from Chelsea FC, sold to Borussia Dortmund for €25.5m

Alassane Plea – With the club since 2018

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Bought for €23m by OGC Nice (most expensive purchase and most valuable acquisition in Gladbach history)

Stefan Lainer – In the club since 2019

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Bought by Red Bull Salzburg in 2019 for €12.5m

Denis Zakaria – With the club from 2017 to 2022

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Bought from BSC Young Boys for €12m, Gladbach will be leaving on a free transfer in the summer at the latest

Experienced players like goalkeeper Yann Sommer (33) or national player Jonas Hofmann (29) should definitely be kept, they are “corset pillars of our team and should remain so in the years to come. They would play a very important role in our plan to build something new.” Meanwhile, new contracts for Lars Stindl (33) and Christoph Kramer (31) are not high on the agenda. “Of course we have these players on the screen and will address the issue. But not immediately. Due to the overall constellation, other personal details have priority,” says Virkus. The four professionals mentioned are all tied until 2023.

Due to Corona, Borussia did not make the hoped-for transfers last summer and contract extensions with service providers that had been targeted failed. Midfielder Denis Zakaria (25) switched to Juventus Turin in winter. Other players could follow the Swiss – such as the storm trio Breel Embolo (25), Marcus Thuram (24) and Alassane Plea (28), all of whom are under contract until 2023. With a sale this summer, a few million more could be flushed into the Gladbach coffers. But Virkus has now announced that he basically wants to keep the trio. “I will fight for the boys,” said Max Eberl’s successor, who left the club in the spring. “I’ll talk to all three and explain what we’re up to. Basically, I don’t want to sell any of the guys.”

Gladbach’s tactic: extend or sell – avoid free transfer cases like Ginter

Perhaps these statements are tactics. Because Virkus also admitted that all three attackers, who scored ten of Borussia’s last eleven goals, may “pursue other goals”: “In the event that you don’t find an agreement, you would have to think about how to solve the situation.” Otherwise, the same scenario threatens as with defender Matthias Ginter, who changes free of charge after the season. Where the 28-year-old is going is unclear. “I can’t say anything new yet,” Ginter reported.

A departure from Thuram was actually planned last year. But the change to the Italian champions Inter Milan fell through – among other things because of the knee injury, which cost the French a large part of the start of the season. Thuram experienced a career break. His form curve is currently pointing upwards again with three goals in the last five games.

Sports director Virkus would also like to enter into a dialogue with coach Adi Hütter and relentlessly work through this season that has fallen short of expectations. The Austrian had been signed by Eintracht Frankfurt with some transfer promises before the season for 7.5 million euros.

From Heynckes to Hütter: The 10 Gladbach coaches of the last 15 years

Jupp Heynckes – 213 days in office – point average: 0.90 per game

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From 07/01/2006 to 01/30/2007

Jos Luhukay – 613 days in office – points average: 1.42 per game

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From 01/31/2007 to 10/05/2008

Christian Ziege – 13 days in office – point average: 1.00 per game

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From 10/05/2008 to 10/18/2008

Hans Meyer – 222 days in office – point average: 1.04 per game

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From 10/18/2008 to 05/28/2009

Michael Frontzeck – 592 days in office – point average: 1.05 per game

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From 07/01/2009 to 02/13/2011

Lucien Favre – 1679 days in office – point average: 1.65 per game

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From 02/14/2011 to 09/20/2015

André Schubert – 456 days in office – point average: 1.55 per game

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From 09/21/2015 to 12/21/2016

Dieter Hecking – 921 days in office – point average: 1.54 per game

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From 21/12/2016 to 30/06/2019

Marco Rose – 730 days in office – points average: 1.61 per game

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From 07/01/2019 to 06/30/2021

Adi Hütter – since July 1st, 2021 – point average: 1.34 per game

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Status: 12.11.2021

“The conditions under which Adi Hütter made his commitment were different, that’s right. That’s why it’s about sitting down together in peace, looking deep into each other’s eyes and talking absolutely openly about everything. Does the coach accept the changed circumstances? What are his transfer requests? Can he identify with the goals of the club? You have to discuss that. To find a common path in the end,” revealed Virkus. The goal is clear: “We want to start the new season with him.” The 55-year-old couldn’t see any doubts about the future from the head coach. “And I like to repeat myself: I see it as a completely normal process.”

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