Gladbach chasing Bayern like me chasing Usain Bolt, says Eberl
Borussia Monchengladbach sporting director Max Eberl says trying to close the gap to Bayern Munich is like him chasing down Usain Bolt.
Bayern defeated Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal final on Saturday to complete a domestic double, having wrapped up their eighth straight Bundesliga title-winning campaign the weekend prior.
Gladbach were early pacesetters in the top flight as the Bavarian giants struggled to get going under Niko Kovac, but they ended up sealing fourth on the final day of the season.
The difference between the teams was 17 points and Eberl likened Gladbach attempting to catch up to himself in a race with eight-time Olympic gold medallist Bolt, who holds the world record in the 100 metres and 200m.
Asked if the Foals could lead the rest of the Bundesliga's attempts to topple Bayern, Eberl told Kicker: "It's as realistic as if I challenge Usain Bolt to the 100 metres and think I can win.
"Maybe I'll be at the front at the start. Maybe he stumbles in between. But the likelihood that Usain Bolt will end up in front of me, and Bayern Munich before Gladbach, is very high.
"It's not 100 per cent but is clearly in the region of 90 per cent."
However, he added: "We will not give up and throw in the towel. We are working on getting even better."
#GladToBeBach in the @ChampionsLeague! pic.twitter.com/iH3DxWg9Ws
— Gladbach (@borussia_en) June 27, 2020
Gladbach's hopes of making significant personnel improvements in the close season have been hit by a loss of revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic that could end up in the region of €30million.
"We will not now storm the transfer market and buy big-name players," said Eberl.
"Coronavirus hit us to the core. The [financial] reserves melt like ice in the sun. The big picture will be even more important in the future, not just having an eye on sport."