Borussia Mönchengladbach have issued a job guarantee to interim coaches Jan-Moritz Lichte and Markus Gellhaus. Sporting director Rouven Schröder confirmed the assurance, which stands regardless of who is appointed as the new permanent head coach.

This move directly influences the ongoing search for a successor to the dismissed Eugen Polanski. A new head coach will be permitted to bring only one assistant of his own. Candidates wishing to bring a completely new staff of three or four assistants are therefore ruled out. Lichte and Gellhaus will not be reassigned to the U23 or youth teams but will remain with the senior squad.

Schröder Confirms Plan

"That was made clear by sporting director Rouven Schröder when asked," the club stated. The 50-year-old has thus backed the duo for the difficult task ahead. Gladbach sit 17th in the table with zero points after three opening defeats. The 5-0 loss at SC Freiburg last weekend highlighted the crisis. The next opportunity comes on Saturday (15:30, Sky) in the home match against FSV Mainz 05, who they drew 1-1 with in April. The current standings show the urgent need for action.

Consequences for Candidates

The stipulation narrows the field of possible coaches. One name already ruled out for financial reasons is Ole Werner. The 38-year-old, who left RB Leipzig despite Champions League qualification, earns 3.7 million euros a year there and even turned down a double-digit million offer from Saudi Arabia. He is unaffordable for Gladbach. The search now focuses on candidates agreeable to the prescribed structure.

Background to Dismissals

The guarantee for Lichte and Gellhaus follows the dismissal of Eugen Polanski and his assistant Tobias Trulsen. The 40-year-old Polanski, who had a contract until 2028, received a severance payment. His successor on the bench against Mainz will be 46-year-old Lichte, supported by 56-year-old Gellhaus. They take over a team that has conceded twelve goals in the first three matchdays. The top scorer is Hugo Bolin with two goals. Daiki Hashioka, Enzo Leopold, Jens Castrop, Nicolas-Gerrit Kühn and Yukhym Konoplya remain sidelined through injury, as shown by the current injuries list.

The club's leadership is sending a signal of continuity in turbulent times with this personnel decision. The next competitive fixture is at Borussia-Park on 19 September.

First reported at Bild Sport