After delivering an impressive debut season in Gladbach's kit following his summer 2024 transfer from Heidenheim, Tim Kleindienst became the great hope of the Rhineland club. A development that was severely hampered by serious injuries in the previous season. Now the Gladbach captain wants to attack again. His assessment of the team is noteworthy.

Following the disappointing 2025/26 season, Borussia Mönchengladbach's management undertook a major overhaul in summer 2026. The departure of top star Rocco Reitz to RB Leipzig is already countered by five external new signings.

It's no wonder, then, that manager Eugen Polanski was cautious when naming a season objective recently. The 40-year-old stated according to "Bild" that his personal minimum target would be to confirm the twelfth place from the previous season, but in a completely different manner, adding that this doesn't exclude the path upward at all.

Kleindienst also doesn't want to reveal his hand too much. The striker told "Sport Bild" in an interview that they are already a bit of a lucky dip. He noted that he perhaps doesn't yet know the complete life story of every new arrival, but he senses good atmosphere and a new hunger. He emphasized that they need a good mix of competition and team spirit, must establish a consistent foundation they can draw on in every match, and it would be good if everyone had the same attitude.

Gladbach departure wasn't ruled out in 2025

Kleindienst, who leads Gladbach onto the pitch as captain, has already raised some initial points of criticism.

The 30-year-old stated that the intensity in training recently wasn't always high enough, which is why he made that clear internally as well. He also emphasized that it's not just about performances on the pitch. He stressed that discipline is the foundation, starting with tidying up towels in the dressing room, noting that whoever leaves his things lying around everywhere will never be the most disciplined player on the pitch.

That Kleindienst can lead the way at Gladbach in 2026/27 is also due to his injury, by the way. As the German international revealed, a departure in summer 2025 would not have been out of the question otherwise. Kleindienst explained that theoretically it could have happened that he would have transferred because the club would have had to cash in. He noted that he received what felt like 41,000 rumors, but there was no concrete offer on the table up to that point.