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If knowledge, as the philosopher Karl Popper says, is always at best assumed knowledge, then the current discussion about Borussia Mönchengladbach would actually be an academic one.
It has been a good week since the Champions League participant from Niederrhein made public that Marco Rose will move to Borussia Dortmund after the end of the season - and since then a controversial debate has raged on what effects this will have on the further cooperation between the coach and his crew could have.
It's about hurt feelings, finger pointing, and a lot of guesswork.
It is only undisputed that the discussion among the fans is so loud that it even pushes a highlight in the more recent history of the traditional club into the background.
The Gladbachers will meet Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday (9 p.m., Sky and in the WELT live ticker), currently probably the best club team in the world.
For the first time since 1978 the Borussia play in the knockout round of the premier class.
It's a feast day.
Or at least it should be.
"Will be a great game"
Oscar Wendt is playing with Borussia M'Gladbach for the third time in the Champions League against Manchester City.
The left-back explains what has changed since the last encounter.
Source: Stats Perform News
It is Rose, of all people, who the fans resent his move to the other Borussia, who now reminded them.
“It's a big thing for the club to be there,” he said before leaving for Budapest, where the game will be played against the Premier League leaders.
He doesn't have to motivate his team a lot.
“The boys deserved this special evening.
They should enjoy hearing the anthem and being able to compete with the best teams.
Let them show what they can, ”said Rose.
Manchester have been unbeaten in 25 games
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In fact, Gladbach is a blatant underdog against Pep Guardiola's team, who have been unbeaten in 25 competitive games and have won 18 games in a row.
It's a bonus game that the team and coaches have worked hard to achieve.
Even those among the fans who are loudest calling for Rose to be expelled should not deny that the club would hardly have come there without the coach.
It is the result of a radical change in the style of play that Rose has made: away from the wait-and-see style that Gladbach had played under his predecessor Dieter Hecking - towards a thrilling, attractive and at the same time variable football.
The toughest game of the year offers Borussia Mönchengladbach a chance to find inner peace.
Rose is also aware of this
Source: AFP / INA FASSBENDER
Max Eberl has reminded the fans of this several times in the last few days and with extremely emotional statements.
He solicited trust and emphasized that he still considered Rose a "great coach".
Just one day after Rose's decision became known, he had explained this at a joint press conference with the outgoing coach.
On Sunday, the sports director, who brought Rose from Red Bull Salzburg in the summer of 2019, went straight to both morning football talks, the “Doppelpass” and “Sky90”, to refuel.
Breathless eulogies for Marco Rose
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He gave almost breathless eulogies for Rose, which left the moderators hardly any opportunity to ask questions.
Of course, the togetherness is now “a bit different”, but by far “not negatively affected” and the relationship between coach and team is still “intact” Situation, just like a year and a half ago, is the best coach for us. ”Whoever, out of understandable frustration, thinks they have to look for someone to blame, should better stick to him, the manager.
After all, it was he, Eberl, who allowed and was responsible for an exit clause in Rose's contract.
"Doesn't have to motivate anyone"
Borussia M'Gladbach will play in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Manchester City.
Coach Marco Rose explains how hot his team is already on the game.
Source: Stats Perform News
Eberl's appearance in the past few days could have been incorporated into a guide for executives: How do I communicate successfully in times of crisis?
In many commercial enterprises, his remarkably pleasant way of assuming responsibility as a boss could certainly calm the atmosphere overall.
In professional football, which, despite increasing commercialization, still thrives on emotions and whose business model includes faking identification with the club, this is a little more difficult.
Because the disappointment of the fans, which culminated in sometimes insulting reactions and the demand to kick Rose out immediately, cannot be argued away.
For quite a few fans, treason is treason.
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The crucial question, however, is how the team will react to developments.
Because only if the players should feel abandoned by their coach, Gladbach would have a real problem.
Last weekend there was a 1: 2 defeat against FSV Mainz 05, a relegation candidate.
Rose took responsibility for it.
His announced departure would have caused unrest in the team.
So the trainer also takes a humble attitude - possibly because of a bad conscience, possibly out of pragmatic insight.
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In fact, however, the engine has been stuttering for a long time: the three Bundesliga games before Rose's announcement of the change could not be won.
After an almost perfect first season under Rose, in which everything went optimally, the Gladbachers are in a game year with complex challenges: The unusually high load from the Champions League games in a difficult preliminary group, intermittent personnel problems and the tactical forced by Rose Further development led to friction losses - long before Rose's announcement.
The change of coach should therefore not be an alibi, thinks Jonas Hofmann.
The midfielder is particularly annoyed by rumors that it had caused a crash in the dressing room.
"You heard so much nonsense what was being said," he told DAZN.
There could be no question of mutual verbal attacks.
Lies had been spread about the relationship between team and coach.
And anyway: Rose would have made a “life decision” that needs to be respected.
This shouldn't have any impact on the team's performance, especially if it goes against the Citizen star ensemble.
"If you think about the change of coach, something is going wrong", says Hofmann: "You don't have games like this every day."
Indeed, the toughest game of the year offers the club a chance to find peace of mind.
Rose is also aware of this.
"If we play a Champions League round of 16 as Borussia Mönchengladbach, we can primarily only win".
The emphasis was on "we".
Last Tuesday he said Borussia Dortmund when he meant Mönchengladbach.
He was very angry about that.