Borussia Mönchengladbach hire Alexander Blessin as head coach until 2028

Borussia Mönchengladbach have moved to rescue their season by appointing Alexander Blessin as head coach. The German arrives with the five-time Bundesliga champions bottom of the table and still looking for their first point after four consecutive defeats.

Blessin has signed a deal running until June 2028, taking over from Eugen Polanski, who was dismissed on September 13. The club hopes the new voice in the dugout can stop a slump that has left one of Germany's most historic sides fighting to avoid an early crisis.

Why Borussia Mönchengladbach had to change managers

Gladbach's start to the Bundesliga season could hardly have been worse. Four matches, four defeats and no points left the club rooted to the foot of the standings, forcing the board to act before the damage became irreversible.

Polanski's assistant, Jan-Moritz Lichte, stepped in as interim coach for Saturday's match against Mainz. The change did not bring a change in fortune: Gladbach lost 3-4 at home and extended their winless run to five league games, underlining the need for a permanent appointment.

Alexander Blessin's recent record in German football

Blessin arrives from St Pauli, where he spent the previous two seasons in charge of the Hamburg club. He was brought in as the replacement for Fabian Hürzeler, who left for Brighton shortly after guiding St Pauli to promotion to the Bundesliga.

In his first season at the Millerntor, Blessin kept St Pauli in the top flight, a solid achievement for a newly promoted side with limited resources. His second campaign ended differently: the club slipped back into the second division and the coach was let go in June.

Blessin's experience in Belgium, Italy and at RB Leipzig

Before establishing himself in Germany, Blessin built an unusual international CV. He managed Belgian side KV Oostende from 2020 to 2022, spent a spell at Genoa in Italy in 2022, and impressed at Union Saint-Gilloise between 2023 and 2024.

With the Brussels club he won the Belgian Cup, a title that enhanced his reputation as a coach capable of beating the odds. That experience, combined with his time in Belgium, gave him the tactical grounding he will now try to apply in a Bundesliga he knows well.

His coaching education is tied to the RB Leipzig project, where he spent eight years in the academy after being recruited by Ralf Rangnick. That school left a clear mark on his approach: high pressing, intensity and a willingness to trust young players.

What Blessin must fix at Borussia Mönchengladbach

The challenge awaiting Blessin is significant. Gladbach need points immediately to climb away from the bottom of the table and restore confidence in a squad built to compete for far more than survival.

A club with five Bundesliga titles and two UEFA Cups in its trophy cabinet cannot afford to flirt with relegation. The contract running to 2028 suggests the board sees Blessin as a long-term project rather than a short-term fix.

The immediate fixture list will be demanding, and every matchweek without a win will raise the pressure on a dressing room that has already shown fragility in key moments. Blessin will need quick solutions, particularly in defence, where the team has conceded too easily this season.

When will Alexander Blessin make his Gladbach debut?

The new head coach joins training straight away and will make his official debut in the next Bundesliga matchday. The club is banking on a change in the dugout acting as a spark to end their worst start to a season in decades.

Supporters, who have watched their team lose the opening four league games, are demanding an immediate reaction. Blessin will have little time to implement his ideas, but his arrival offers a glimmer of hope to a squad in need of fresh energy.

Frequently asked questions about Gladbach's new head coach