A bitter loss from a sporting point of view, a heavy loss financially - the departures of Matthias Ginter and Denis Zakaria are giving Borussia Mönchengladbach a lot of trouble. In view of the team's crisis with the fall to 14th place and further corona-related loss of income, the announcement by the two leading players that they would change in the summer caused renewed unrest. Despite all the frustration with the failed negotiations, manager Max Eberl is hoping for positive effects: “We now know who we can plan with for the next season and who not and under what circumstances we will go into the second half of the season. That was important to us. "
However, Eberl has lost his month-long struggle for the whereabouts of the 27-year-old national player and the 25-year-old defensive strategist. It is particularly annoying for the manager that both Ginter, who signed up for 17 million euros from Dortmund in 2017, and Zakaria, who was transferred from Bern for 12 million euros in the same year, can transfer free of charge. This is particularly difficult to cope with in times when the club is losing revenue of a good two million euros per ghost game.
"After great years in Gladbach, it is very difficult for me to take this step, but I have decided to take a different path in my career for my personal and professional development", Ginter had announced on Instagram the evening before the start of the training . The first reaction from Eberl sounded like weak consolation. “He has to perform really well to find a new club. He wants to be at the World Cup in winter, so he knows that he has to give it full throttle, "he told the" Bild ".
A change of club this winter does not seem to be an option for the 27-year-old Ginter.
“Now we're going into the second half of the season at full speed.
Anyone who knows me knows that I will give everything to achieve the goals that are still possible this season together, ”commented the 2014 World Champion. It remains open for the time being which jersey he will wear in the future.
In the past, the Freiburg native was associated with FC Bayern and Inter Milan, among others.
"We are in good talks with him"
Eberl contributed to the decision of Ginter and Zakaria before the tricky start of the second half of the season on January 7th against the championship leaders from Munich. Annoyed by ongoing speculation about their intention to switch, he increased the pressure shortly before Christmas. “I told the boys in no uncertain terms that I would like everything that has nothing to do with Borussia and the second half of the season to be clarified by the end of this year. I want everyone to focus on the club, the second half of the season and this situation. "
Zakaria also complied with this request.
Like Ginter, the Swiss international wants to fulfill his contract and only change in the summer.
Borussia is thus missing the last opportunity to redeem at least some money with a winter transfer.
The league rival Borussia Dortmund, supervised by former Gladbach coach Marco Rose, is being traded as an option for Zakaria.
According to media reports, Juventus Turin, AS Roma and FC Barcelona should also be interested.
After all, Eberl also had two positive news to announce on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old defender Jordan Beyer extended his contract until mid-2026. Patrick Herrmann is also striving to continue the cooperation.
"We are in good talks with him," said Eberl about the longest-serving professional in the squad alongside Tony Jantschke.