Nils Schmadtke: “It was a massive relief”

Borussia Mönchengladbach’s sporting director Nils Schmadtke was interviewed about the Foals’ home win against VfB Stuttgart, which rounded off the first half of the Bundesliga season, the current squad and Gladbach’s amazing supporters.

Nils, Gladbach kicked off 2024 with a 3-1 win over VfB Stuttgart. What did you make of this victory, which marked the end of the first half the season?

Nils Schmadtke: We should be happy about getting the three points against a really good side. Stuttgart have been put in consistently good performances so far this season. We managed to play our own game in the first half against one of the top teams in the league. We closed down space in the middle of the park, didn’t give them much room for manoeuvre and looked dangerous time and again on the counter. Stuttgart started to play better in the second 45.

Things looked quite tense when it was 2-1…

Schmadtke: Yes, definitely. We had the rub of the green, especially with Undav’s shot that hit the woodwork and his other chance, which whistled past the far post. They had a lot of possession but, towards the end of the match, when it was a bit nervy, they didn’t have many clear-cut chances. Marvin Friedrich, for instance, did a fantastic job at this stage of the game, as did Joe Scally, who neutralised the threat that Chris Führich poses. We defended well as a team and the communication was good, especially as far as marking opposition players was concerned. At the end of the day, we can maybe count ourselves a bit lucky to have won the game, but it’s not like we didn’t deserve the victory either.

How much of a relief was the late goal to make it 3-1?

Schmadtke: It was a massive relief. If we’d managed to break away a bit more cleanly on the counter before the goal, it would’ve been a lot less nerve-wracking. The fact that we held onto the lead and even extended it at the end of the game is a part our growth as a team and represents a big step in the right direction.

After Yvandro Borges Sanches extended his contract and moved on loan to NEC Nijmegen, you said that a player from the U23s could maybe step up. Can you reveal your decision here?

Schmadtke: Shio Fukuda will be a member of the first team squad from now on. He will be a fixed part of the group at least until the end of the season and, among other things, he’ll get his own locker in the dressing room. Shio has impressed again and again over the past weeks and months, whether in talent training, U23s games or training with the first team. We’ve always kept an eye on Shio. But we’re keeping in mind that the squad shouldn’t be too big. He most recently appeared in the friendly against Go Ahead Eagles, was involved immediately, did well and scored straight away. He is a very important part of our process of seeing what’s happening in our youth set-up and whether talents are ready for the Bundesliga team. This is a reward for Shio for his performances so far. It’s a credit to how we foster talent and shows everyone the direction we want to go in.

Are any external arrivals planned?

Schmadtke: There’s nothing new to report about that. There are no concrete offers for any players. The market is dynamic and we’ll keep an eye on it. And if something happens, maybe even in our own squad, then we’ll be well-prepared thanks to our scouting department and will be able to react.

The next home game takes place on Sunday, this time against FC Augsburg. What are your thoughts on this match?

Schmadtke: Augsburg have become more consistent since their change of coach. They play good football and are tactically flexible, as well as being a traditionally difficult opponent for us. We have to prepare for a challenging game physically, and it’s a match where we’ll definitely need the support of our fans. They’ve been behind us all season and have been with us every step of the way, even in moments when it hasn’t been going so well on the pitch. It’s also really special that more than 53,000 spectators came to the stadium in this weather on Sunday evening. It’s no accident that we’re now unbeaten in eight home games in a row. We’ve achieved that together with our fans. We’re now hoping for similar support next Sunday.