Bundesliga Coach Loses Temper at Press Conference Scuffle

Gladbach's coach Eugen Polanski had no reason to be upset following his team's victory at FSV Mainz 05: the sporting direction is positive, and Borussia appears to be well on the road to recovery after a tough start to the season.

However, the 39-year-old attracted attention in a peculiar way during the press conference, leading to negative headlines. The incident began when Mainz's press officer, Silke Bannick, declined a handshake from Gladbach's coach.

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Bannick explained her refusal by stating that she found Polanski's celebrations with sports director Rouven Schröder after the game excessive, given their past with Mainz. She believed it was inappropriate to celebrate while the former club was struggling at the bottom of the table. Although she has known Polanski and Schröder “forever,” their jubilation seemingly caused her to feel differently about him.

The situation escalated further with additional comments in front of cameras.

Prior to the press conference, Polanski reportedly asked Bannick, “whether it's the hormones or not”—notably, she is currently pregnant, complicating the situation. This remark can indeed be deemed inappropriate.

During the formal segment, Bannick referred to Polanski as the “coach from the Upper Rhine,” while Borussia Mönchengladbach is generally seen as the team from the Lower Rhine. Whether this was intentional or not, it certainly added fuel to the fire. Following her introduction, Polanski responded sharply to her, saying, “You don't need to look at me like that,” which was audible to everyone present.

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Polanski responded to the press conference drama in a statement to ‘Bild': “I found it disrespectful that she refused to shake my hand, and I told her that. She then claimed her hands were full, which I called disrespectful and a lie. But I'm quite relaxed about it; it will be fine again.”

Ultimately, there was a return to normalcy one would typically expect after an away victory.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 Alex Grimm – 2025 Getty Images