Borussia Mönchengladbach captain Tim Kleindienst used strong words following the disappointing defeat to Elversberg, sparking an internal discussion. Sporting director Rouven Schröder has now publicly defended the striker, explaining the comments as understandable emotions after the match.
The situation unfolded after the 3-4 home loss to newly-promoted Elversberg last weekend. Gladbach had squandered a 3-1 lead and were booed by their own fans, including the Nordkurve stand. In this frustrating atmosphere, the 31-year-old Kleindienst critically addressed the team's mentality in several TV interviews.
What did Tim Kleindienst say after the match?
The team captain vented his anger and questioned the players' concentration. "We need to quickly ramp up our focus so it lasts for 90 minutes, watch less TikTok or whatever, I don't really care what they do," Kleindienst said verbatim in an interview recorded by Bild Sport. He added: "No idea what happened after the 3-1, whether there was a power cut somewhere or what went on in some people's heads." These direct words sparked conversation and quickly reached the club's management.
How did the Gladbach leadership react?
Sporting director Rouven Schröder, who is 50 himself, used the incident as an opportunity for a clarifying conversation with Kleindienst during the training week ahead of the upcoming away game in Freiburg. Schröder showed understanding for his captain's emotions. "The statements Tim made immediately after the game were understandably driven by emotion given the course of the match," the sports boss explained. "Like all of us, he was frustrated after the final whistle. We know Tim, he is a man of clear words."
Coach Eugen Polanski, 40, also commented on the events. He confirmed that Kleindienst had spoken partly from emotion, but the direction of his criticism was correct. The coach emphasized the need to focus on a good Bundesliga performance and three points after 90 minutes. This is particularly important as Gladbach currently sits in 17th place with zero points from two games, six points behind leaders FC Augsburg.
What is Gladbach's sporting situation?
The defeat to Elversberg was just the latest setback in a difficult start to the season. In the Bundesliga, urgently needed points are pending after two losses in the first two matches. The record of three goals scored and seven conceded with a goal difference of minus four is not encouraging. The current standings clearly show the urgency of the situation.
The personnel situation further complicates the task. Currently, five players are sidelined due to injury: Daiki Hashioka, Enzo Leopold, Jens Castrop, Nicolas-Gerrit Kühn and Yukhym Konoplya. An overview of the full squad and absences is available on the squad page. These absences present an additional challenge for coach Polanski, who demands a stable performance over the full 90 minutes.
What does this mean for the next game?
The next opportunity for redemption comes on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 3:30 pm away to SC Freiburg. The match will be broadcast on Sky. The away game presents a particular challenge, as Freiburg has started the season strongly and currently sits second in the table. For Gladbach, it's about finally delivering the focused performance Kleindienst demanded for the full duration. You can find Borussia's complete schedule in our fixtures overview. The team travels to Freiburg with the clear instruction to keep their focus high from start to finish.
