Virkus Steps Down Amid a Difficult Season
On Tuesday afternoon, September 30, 2025, Borussia Mönchengladbach announced that Roland Virkus is no longer the club’s sporting director. The presidency and supervisory board relieved him from his duties, effective immediately, following his own proposal. Virkus, who first joined the club in 1990 and has led the sporting department since 2022, faced growing criticism as the team endured a poor start to the campaign.
The Trigger: A Season in Crisis
The latest setback came in a 4-6 defeat at home against Eintracht Frankfurt (SGE) last Saturday, a result that intensified calls from sections of the fans for change. The home crowd chanted for Virkus to go, underscoring broader concerns about the club’s transfer strategy and the pace of decisions in the sporting area. In recent remarks, Virkus indicated that the club should review everything quickly, including himself, signaling a governance shift was on the horizon.
Background and Tenure
Virkus has spent three decades with Borussia Mönchengladbach, rising from staff roles to the top sporting post in 2022. The team’s underwhelming start left them at the bottom of the standings, with only two points from five games. Critics have pointed to missteps in the summer transfer window and a perceived hesitancy in finalizing a clear plan for the coaching position as key factors behind the setback. The departure now official confirms a turning point for the club’s management structure.
Interim Coach and Immediate Outlook
With Virkus out, interim coach Eugen Polanski will continue to manage first-team duties. He will lead the squad in the crucial upcoming match against SC Freiburg on Sunday, with kick-off at 19:30. Polanski has already overseen two league matches in an interim role, collecting a point so far. The game against Freiburg represents a major test as the club attempts to stop a slide and begin rebuilding momentum. The match will be covered in real time by a liveticker and audio stream on sportschau.de.
What Comes Next for the Club
At present there is no announced successor to Virkus. Borussia Mönchengladbach said the decision was made in collaboration with Virkus himself and the club’s top governance bodies, and that a search for a new sporting director would begin immediately. In the short term, the team will continue under Polanski’s guidance, while the club works to stabilize results and re-examine transfer policies and the structure of the sporting department. The aim is to restore competitiveness on the pitch and to provide a clear and credible path back to the upper half of the table.
Fan Reactions and the Road Ahead
The departure has intensified the debate over how the club manages transfers, scouting, and coaching appointments. While the statement emphasized the broader objective of putting the club first, the immediate challenge is to deliver positive on-pitch results and to appoint a successor who can lay out a coherent long-term strategy. The coming weeks will reveal whether the new leadership can deliver a more decisive and proactive approach, and whether Borussia Mönchengladbach can regain its footing in a Bundesliga that demands quick, effective decision-making.
