Summer 2019. Marco Rose walks through the doors at Borussia-Park for the first time with an air of expectancy, but also excitement.
Since then, the former Red Bull Salzburg manager has delivered Champions League football along with some famous victories. As a result, Rose has left his mark at Borussia Monchengladbach after just a year and a half. One victory in particular that many will always remember was the 5-1 win over Augsburg at the start of Rose's tenure as Gladbach were 3-0 up after just 13 minutes.
His philosophy of vibrant attacking football was already having an effect on the team, and that would continue throughout his tenure. Rose not only left an impact in terms of results, but also on the players, with Marcus Thuram, Florian Neuhaus, and Jonas Hofmann all significantly improving under the guidance of Rose.
Despite the positive on field performances, Monchengladbach fans feel let down by his decision to leave for a direct rival. A midseason announcement on a summer departure has angered many, with some wanting Rose to leave immediately. It's a sad ending to a mostly positive tenure.
Gladbach now have to look towards the future, though. With the current Monchengladbach mentality of attacking football in mind, here are four potential candidates to replace the departing Rose.
Jesse Marsch
Age: 47 (8/11/1973)
Previous clubs: Montreal Impact, New York Red Bulls
Current club: Red Bull Salzburg
Potentially following in Rose's footsteps, Jesse Marsch could take the same route in departing Salzburg for Monchengladbach. The American has adopted an attacking approach at both of the Red Bull clubs he has coached, with the 4-3 thriller at Anfield last season proving to be a showcase of his intentions. Salzburg are something of a stepping stone for both players and managers, with many talented names going through the system there. You don't even have to leave the Bundesliga to see a showcase of former stars from Salzburg, with the likes of Erling Haaland, Dayot Upamecano, and most recently, Dominik Szoboszlai all making the move to Germany. Will Marsch follow suit?
Florian Kohfeldt
Age: 38 (5/10/1982)
Current club: Werder Bremen
At 35 years of age, Florian Kohfeldt was thrown in at the deep end at Bremen three years ago. A huge club with a demanding fanbase, they had been too close to the relegation zone for their liking. In his first two seasons, Kohfeldt brought midtable security back to the Wohninvest Weserstadion. Last campaign was much more of a struggle, though, with a late surge in form pushing Bremen out of the automatic relegation zone and into the relegation playoff, which they eventually won on away goals.
This term has been more relaxed, with immediate relegation trouble not seeming like a possibility as the team are sat in 12th. The only issue with Kohfeldt might be his philosophy. Over the past few seasons, he has adopted a cautious approach, with his main focus being on counter attacking football. However, that could be changed, as Kohfeldt did opt for a more attacking approach in his first two years at the club.
Pellegrino Matarazzo
Age: 43 (28/11/1977)
Current club: VfB Stuttgart
Another American, Pellegrino Matarazzo seems like the perfect appointment for Monchengladbach on paper. The football he has Stuttgart playing has been scintillating at times, and the results have come as well with a successful promotion under his belt. It all depends on whether Matarazzo sees the jump from Stuttgart to Monchengladbach as a big enough one to make, and whether his employers at the Mercedes-Benz Arena would be willing to let him leave. Outside of the top six this season, Stuttgart have arguably been the most exciting team to watch on a weekly basis. Players like Silas Wamangituka and Nicolas Gonzalez have come on leaps and bounds under Matarazzo and have been a joy to watch in the Bundesliga this term. Just imagine the wonders Matarazzo could work with the talent at Gladbach.
Gerardo Seoane
Age: 42 (30/10/1978)
Previous club: Luzern
Current club: BSC Young Boys
Another exciting young manager is Gerardo Seoane at BSC Young Boys. Anyone who watched their thrilling 4-3 encounter against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League could see what they are about. Playing on the front foot throughout, they did leave gaps in behind the defence, but their focus was on entertaining on the field. Since taking over at Young Boys in 2018, Seoane has won the Swiss Super League twice with his side currently sat on top by 18 points at the time of writing. Not only have they won they league, they have done so in style. In Seoane's first season in charge, they scored 99 goals in 36 games. That's quite impressive, and it's the type of football that Gladbach fans wouldn't mind seeing at Borussia-Park.