The topic isn’t new, but it’s always a source of debate: Many U23 teams from Bundesliga clubs give professionals playing times and make the games against these teams unpredictable events. SC Preußen Münster felt this particularly emphatically on Saturday – and was not happy about it.
A nominal eight players from the Bundesliga squad represented Gladbach’s U23s in the Preussenstadion on Saturday. That should be remarkable in every respect. Gladbach’s coach Eugen Polanski was not involved. “We decided at half past twelve this morning that these players would get playing time. We’re just a training team, that’s exactly what we’re here for,” Polanski said with a shrug. He also wanted to classify the detachments from the professional squad: “No one comes down with 300 Bundesliga games, maybe it’s more like 3 Bundesliga games.”
Well: yes and no. Luca Netz, market value 6.5 million euros and signed by Hertha BSC in 2021, has already played 35 Bundesliga games. And while Borussia’s third goalkeeper Jan Olschowsky plays regularly in the regional league, this applies to the pros Rocco Reitz (650,000 euros), Oscar Fraulo (350,000 euros), Torben Müsel (400,000 euros) or the 18-year-old talent Yvandro Borges Sanches (200,000 euros) not. Especially not in this accumulation.
Prussia coach Sascha Hildmann was eaten. “If I just look at the market values of these players… that was an absolute challenge.” Hildmann and his co Louis Cordes certainly had problems. Because they were of course set to another Gladbach team. “Of course I suspected something after Gladbach played in the Bundesliga on Friday evening. “But then there are eight players…” Unfortunately, you can’t influence that. “But it’s a shame, because we’re doing everything we can to be successful here, to win sponsors. And then something like this happens. A first division team used their weapons and packed everything they could against us.” And that’s when you noticed that the SCP wasn’t able to assert itself as usual.
You also have to classify that for the audience, which may have only superficially seen a 1-1 draw against a second representation. The reaction in Münster after the game actually suggested that everyone knew what had just happened on the pitch. No whistles, applause, the spectators understood it all.
“We have to take something away from this game. We have to assert ourselves, even if the opponent has the quality, but that’s a process,” said Hildmann, who then immediately followed up: “But today any team would have found it extremely difficult against these Gladbachers.”
From the point of view of the SCP it was still annoying. The possible lead in the table is gone – and the SCP will certainly see how Gladbach will play against Münster’s competitor Wuppertal in the coming week… Or in Ahlen the week after. Substitutes in this league (or in the 3rd division) have to put up with accusations of distortion of competition. The 3rd league is a professional league with ambitious clubs, but also in the regional league (especially in the west) there are traditional clubs with aspirations. The training times for professionals seem very out of place.
Sure, SC Preußen also gives its players playing time in the Oberliga-U23. But the difference here is likely to be that, firstly, the individual quality is slightly different than between the Bundesliga and Regionalliga and, secondly, it is purely amateur football.
“Still the same sport…”
Of course, Eugen Polanski made an effort to make the professional dismissals look less dramatic. There were “no seasoned professional players” and it was also difficult to involve these professionals in the game. “The processes are not clear.” It is understandable that it is difficult for opponents to adapt to such a team. “But it’s still the same sport…”
Secure. Soccer is soccer. But you will be able to see some difference if players with a professional contract with a Bundesliga club suddenly appear in the regional league. And that was really obvious: the SCP has rarely been under so much pressure in the past two regional league years. Was Gladbach then, as Polanski said, “the dominant team” for 80 minutes? The SCP had a good 20, 25 minutes and a good final fifteen minutes. But in between, Gladbach built up a lot, a lot of pressure, used his quality and left little room for the Prussians overall. The wing racers Kwadwo and Teklab felt this, neither of which got any access at all in the game. But Marc Lorenz felt it too – despite all the routine. “You have to show respect to your opponent,” he said after the game. “They had a very good order, they put us off really well. Not every opponent can do that against us…”
And so in the end the conclusion was mixed. With anger about Gladbach’s professional team, with the idea that the next opponents of Gladbach will probably have it “easier” – but at least with the satisfaction of having scored points against this team. With 10 points from 4 games, the SCP started well, that shouldn’t go under.