Gladbach suffer fourth straight Bundesliga loss to Mainz amid coaching crisis: interim side bottom with no points

Borussia Mönchengladbach suffered its fourth consecutive Bundesliga defeat on Saturday, falling 3-4 to Mainz 05 in a match that deepened the club’s coaching crisis. The loss leaves Gladbach as the league’s only team without a point after four matches, marking the worst season start in its history.

Mainz’s Phillip Tietz, Sheraldo Becker, Eric Martel and Danny da Costa scored against an interim side led by Jan-Moritz Lichte, who stepped in following Eugen Polanski’s dismissal six days earlier. Gladbach’s goals came from Florian Neuhaus, Isac Lidberg and a 95th-minute Shuto Machino penalty, while Kevin Diks missed another spot kick in the 57th minute. The defensive frailties were evident as Mainz exploited gaps, with Becker and Tietz capitalizing on poor marking to erase Neuhaus’ early opener.

Sporting director Rouven Schröder confirmed the club has identified a “clear favorite” to replace Polanski, emphasizing the need for a coach with experience handling difficult situations. He ruled out Christian Titz and Horst Steffen but declined to name the leading candidate. The new manager’s first match will be the Rhine derby against 1. FC Köln on Oct. 11.

Former Gladbach midfielder Stefan Effenberg criticized the club’s leadership for its silence amid the crisis, singling out president Rainer Bonhof, board member Uwe Kamps and Schröder for failing to address the public. “I have the feeling they’re going into hiding,” Effenberg told t-online, adding that Schröder’s track record as a functionary had been inconsistent .

Lichte’s interim tenure saw Neuhaus return to the starting lineup for the first time since January, a move met with applause from the 50,000 fans at Borussia-Park. The 29-year-old, who had been sidelined, deflected Lukas Ullrich’s shot past Mainz’s backup goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow for the opener .