Gerard Seoane: Who is Borussia Mönchengladbach's multilingual Swiss coach?
Gerardo Seoane made a name for himself by playing entertaining, title-winning football in Switzerland, first came to the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, but what else is there to know about Borussia Mönchengladbach's Swiss tactician?
Stats correct as of 28 August 2024
Gerardo Seoane
Age: 45 (born 30 October, 1978)
Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach
Role: Coach
Country: Switzerland
Key stats
Shortly after retiring at Luzern in his home country of Switzerland in 2010, Seoane transitioned into coaching and re-joined the club as the boss of the U18s in 2013. He clearly impressed in his first role in management, being chosen to oversee the senior squad for one game on an interim basis before taking over the U21 side from 2014/15. Seoane stayed in this role until 2018, although within this spell was also a stint as assistant to first-team coach and member of Germany’s 1996 European Championship winning team Markus Babbel, who also played for VfB Stuttgart and Bayern Munich.
After five years at Luzern, Seoane left for Young Boys in 2018 where he rose to prominence as one of Europe’s most exciting young coaches. It was in Bern where he won three consecutive Swiss Super League titles between 2018 and 2021, as well as taking the club into the UEFA Champions League in 2018/19 and a Swiss Cup victory over Basel the following year. The 2020/21 season also saw his side do the double over future employers Leverkusen in the UEFA Europa League, with the help of current Union Berlin forward Jordan, who scored three goals across the two legs.
Seoane was brought to the BayArena in summer 2021 after Hannes Wolf had seen out the previous season in the wake of Peter Bosz’s dismissal. He led Die Werkself to third place behind Bayern and Borussia Dortmund with the club’s best points total since 2012/13 and a club record at the time of 80 goals. However, a poor start to his second campaign with only two wins from the first 12 competitive fixtures by the beginning of October spelled the end for him in Leverkusen, who then appointed Xabi Alonso. Seoane was later named Daniel Farke’s successor at Gladbach for the following 2023/24 campaign.
Coaches a bit like: Ralph Hasenhüttl
Seoane's high-pressing, energetic style has parallels with Wolfsburg’s Hasenhüttl, who became well known for his intense, front-foot football, particularly during his time at RB Leipzig and Southampton. Both coaches require their teams to be extremely fit in order to make the most of quick transitions, and to be able to press effectively, making their teams relentless in pursuit of the ball. Gladbach’s summer signing Tim Kleindienst epitomises Seoane’s desire to defend from the front, as he recorded the most intensive runs (2863) and sprints (1065) in the league for the 2023/24 season while at Heidenheim and was also fifth for distance covered at 362.3km.
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Did you know?
Born in Lucerne, Seoane also holds both Swiss and Spanish citizenship through his parents, who come from the region of Galicia. His playing career, which lasted 15 years, also involved a spell in his father’s homeland, as he spent four years at Deportivo La Coruna where he made 91 appearances for the club’s B team. As well as German and Spanish, the Gladbach coach can also speak English, French, Italian and Portuguese fluently.
What they’re saying
“He will be an asset to the Bundesliga” - Rudi Völler, former Leverkusen managing director
“He’s a good fit for the club, he’s very communicative, very clear in his demands and also clear in his analysis” - Tony Jantschke, former Gladbach defender
“He is a young but already experienced coach who fits our approach to football, and we are delighted to have him at Borussia Mönchengladbach” - Roland Virkus, Gladbach’s managing director of sport
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