Borussia Mönchengladbach and head coach Eugen Polanski have parted ways. Gladbach officially confirmed on Sunday that Polanski and assistant coach Tobias Trulsen have been relieved of their duties following a disastrous start to the 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign.
Saturday’s 5-0 defeat away at SC Freiburg proved the final act of a tenure that lasted almost exactly one year. For the second consecutive season, Borussia have made an early-season coaching change after Matchday 3.
Gladbach’s summer reset collapses almost immediately
Polanski’s dismissal cannot be separated from the decision Gladbach made at the end of last season. Sporting director Rouven Schröder decided against another coaching change and instead substantially rebuilt the squad and staff around the 40-year-old. Eleven new players arrived. Polanski’s coaching staff was reshaped. A return to a back four formed part of the intended tactical reset.
As GGFN examined in Borussia Mönchengladbach’s 2026/27 tactical preview, Polanski received the full summer preparation period that club management felt he needed in order to properly implement his ideas. Pre-season produced encouraging results, while a 5-0 victory in the opening round of the DFB-Pokal reinforced the impression that Borussia might finally be ready to escape the recurring cycle of lower-mid-table mediocrity and relegation anxiety.
The Bundesliga immediately exposed how fragile those conclusions were. Gladbach opened with a 3-0 defeat at RB Leipzig. The following weekend brought something considerably more damaging. Polanski’s team led newly-promoted Elversberg 3-1 at home before collapsing over the final half-hour and losing 4-3.
Schröder’s refusal to back Polanski foreshadows decision
The end already appeared imminent on Saturday evening. Following the Freiburg defeat, Schröder declined to offer Polanski a public guarantee when asked directly about the coach’s future. The body language of both men suggested that discussions were coming.
By Sunday morning, according to the Rheinische Post, Polanski had offered to step aside himself. He subsequently left the club’s training ground before Gladbach officially announced the separation. The club framed the decision as one based on performance.
Polanski departs having overseen 37 competitive matches, recording 11 victories, ten draws and 16 defeats. His average of 1.16 points per match leaves him below Seoane’s 1.22 during the Swiss trainer’s Gladbach tenure.
Gladbach entered the campaign with an extensive injury list. Jens Castrop, Daiki Hashioka, Yukhym Konoplya, Enzo Leopold and Nicolas Kühn have all been unavailable, depriving Polanski of several players central to the summer rebuild.
For the immediate future, the responsibility of coaching the Bundesliga outfit will not fall to a complete Bundesliga novice. Jan-Moritz Lichte will take charge of Gladbach on an interim basis.
Who is Jan-Moritz Lichte?
The 46-year-old only arrived at Borussia this summer after working within Manchester City’s academy setup, but he has previously occupied a Bundesliga dugout as a head coach. Lichte spent several years on the coaching staff at Mainz 05 before being promoted following Achim Beierlorzer’s dismissal in September 2020.
Schröder was Mainz’s sporting director when Lichte received that promotion. Lichte had initially worked as an assistant under Sandro Schwarz and later Beierlorzer. When Mainz dismissed the latter following a disastrous opening to the 2020/21 Bundesliga campaign, Lichte was elevated internally.
Lichte oversaw 11 Bundesliga matches, winning once, drawing three and losing seven. Mainz remained deeply involved in the relegation battle and relieved him of his duties in late December. His sole league victory came away at Freiburg.
Lichte’s spell also featured draws against Schalke, Hoffenheim and Hertha Berlin, but consecutive defeats against Bielefeld, Köln and Werder Bremen ultimately left Mainz requiring another change. Schröder himself did not survive Mainz’s troubles that year.
Christian Heidel returned to the Rheinhessen that winter to serve as sporting CEO. Together with sporting director Martin Schmidt, Heidel opted to install Bo Svensson as Mainz’s next head coach. Svensson led a remarkable second-half-of-the-season recovery that kept Mainz in the Bundesliga.
Lichte’s appointment in Gladbach is explicitly temporary. Transfermarkt reports that former Leipzig coach Ole Werner, former Werder Bremen trainer Horst Steffen and ex-St. Pauli boss Alexander Blessin are among the candidates being considered to coach Gladbach permanently.
Gladbach host Mainz next Saturday.
Schröder explains Polanski dismissal
“Despite a good preparation and positive approaches, the team did not manage to achieve the desired results in the Bundesliga,” Schröder said in Gladbach’s official statement. “The performances shown recently led to the decision to relieve Eugen of his duties with immediate effect. Eugen is Borussia through and through. We thank him for his commitment to Borussia.”
Polanski reacts to Gladbach departure
“Borussia Mönchengladbach was and remains my club,” Polanski noted in his own statement. “That’s why it hurts so incredibly much that it has come to this. After successfully staying up, we changed quite a few things for this season. We had a lot planned, but we weren’t able to put it into practice. I’m sorry about that.
“I sincerely hope Borussia turns things around very quickly,” Polanski continued. “I wish the club, the team and all the wonderful fans nothing but the best. Thank you for our time together.”
