Borussia Mönchengladbach captain Tim Kleindienst launched a scathing critique of his teammates' concentration after their embarrassing 4-3 home defeat to newly-promoted SV Elversberg. Die Fohlen squandered a 3-1 lead at Borussia-Park on Saturday, missing their chance for a first win of the season.
What did Kleindienst say after the match?
Speaking to ZDF after the final whistle, the striker did not hold back in his assessment of the team's collapse. "We need to raise our level of focus as quickly as possible so that it lasts for 90 minutes." Kleindienst said, according to the report from Yahoo Sports. His blunt message to the squad was that they must do something to stay clear-headed for the full match, stop giving the ball away needlessly, and avoid misplaced passes and fouls.
What is Gladbach's Bundesliga status?
The loss to Elversberg followed a 3-0 opening day defeat at RB Leipzig. As a result, Borussia Mönchengladbach have zero points from their first two matches of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season and sit in the relegation zone with a goal difference of 3:7. A look at the current standings shows the urgent need for a turnaround. The next opportunity comes this Saturday with an away fixture at SC Freiburg. All upcoming matches are listed on our fixtures page.
Which players are currently missing?
The squad situation at Gladbach is strained. Beyond the obvious form crisis, the team is also missing several key players due to injury. According to the latest injuries report, experienced midfielder Julian Weigl and young winger Robin Hack are among those unavailable. These absences further limit the rotation options for manager Gerardo Seoane and put pressure on a squad that isn't particularly deep. The full roster can be viewed in the squad section.
What does the captain's criticism mean?
Kleindienst's public comments are an unusually clear signal of frustration within the team. As captain, he carries special responsibility and is now seemingly searching for ways to pull the group out of its negative spiral. Whether his direct approach will have the desired effect will be seen in training and the next match. The team must now prove it can learn from its mistakes and respond as a unit. The next test awaits on September 19th in Freiburg.
