Football Season Guide

There were some improvements from Gladbach last season under coach Gerardo Seoane, but not enough to suggest the Foals are back to their best. There were ambitions of a European place and even top-four at the end of March, but a dreadful end to the season saw them finish in the bottom half. The club have recognised that this is a slow process to get the side back among the top teams, so have stuck with Seoane as he begins a third season in charge. Having said that, you feel if results go don't go well early on, they may be tempted to make a change. Improving the squad is always difficult with top players often snapped up by the bigger sides, this has sadly been the case with key defender Ko Itakura leaving to join Ajax. Talented forward Alassane Plea has also moved on, but at 32 his presence in the side was beginning to weaken. Striker Tim Kleindienst has been a standout performer for the club since his arrival last summer and will be joined in attack by Shuto Machino. The Japanese star scored 11 times for relegated Holstein Kiel last season so the pair of them have the potential to form a lethal partnership. Haris Tabokovic, on loan from Hoffenheim, should also provide sufficient cover. The midfield department is also relatively well set with Reitz, Sander, Weigl, and Stoger being joined by young talent Castrop from Nurnberg. The full-back area has been boosted further with the addition of Kevin Diks from Copenhagen, but centrally more could be needed, especially after the loss of Itakura.