Roland Virkus: “A lot can still happen”

Borussia’s managing director for sport, Roland Virkus, talks about the club’s new signings and its focus for the remainder of the summer break.

Hello Roland – Gladbach unveiled their third summer signing on Friday in Tim Kleindienst. What can the fans expect to see from him?

Roland Virkus: Tim is a really good guy; he’s someone who is really keen to play for Borussia. We’ve been following him for some time and we’d have liked to have signed him last year. His profile is unique and impressive – for a centre-forward, he’s very versatile. Twelve goals and five assists for Heidenheim speak for themselves. He is also a hard worker, can inspire his teammates and bring a sense of stability to the team. He’s good in the air and can hold the ball up as a target man, but he also has the pace to make runs in behind. In short, we are proud to have convinced him to join us despite interest elsewhere.

Apart from their performances on the pitch, what are you hoping for from the new signings?

Virkus: Last season, we highlighted a few areas where the squad was lacking, and leadership is definitely one of them. All three players were leaders in their own way at their respective clubs last season. They have the mentality of leaders, and they take responsibility at critical moments. All three are disciplined players, completely level-headed, and they’re all fired-up to get stuck into their new roles. I was just delighted to hear Kevin Stöger say he was hungry to play for Borussia, and when Philipp Sander said in an interview that, as Kiel’s captain, he expected his teammates to “get stuck in and commit fully to the team.” Or when Tim Kleindienst spoke about how proud he is to get the chance to play for a club as big as Borussia.

Will there be further activity in the transfer market this summer?

Virkus: We’ve taken the first step by making three very important transfers, and are naturally now directing our focus onto finding somebody in the defensive unit. We do, of course, already have a few players in mind, and it’s no secret that the recent departures will make room for us to actively search for replacements. Sometimes you just have to be patient and wait for the transfer window, but other times, the opportunity arises and you simply have to take it, just like with Tim Kleindienst. People need to remember that the transfer window is still open for another ten weeks, with the EUROs and Copa América ongoing and the Olympics and European U19 Championship on the horizon. A lot can still happen in the transfer market.

Borussia have already made a lot of additions to their youth academy…

Virkus: Exactly, and I want to praise Mirko Sandmöller and his team emphatically for that, as they managed to secure the signings of a number of great players for our academy squad. Having young talents in our ranks from the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and FC Schalke 04 just proves how enticing Borussia is for up-and-coming, ambitious players. Moreover, the fact that our U19s will be playing in the top flight this season speaks volumes for the incredible efforts of the academy team. It naturally helps to have top-class guidance from assistant coach Guido Streichsbier, who provides the boys with the opportunity to prove themselves week in week out. And finally, head coach Gerardo Seoane repeatedly put his faith in a number of our young players in the campaign just gone, which didn’t go unrecognised by any of the academy boys.