Football Bundesliga team Borussia Mönchengladbach will once again close the 2022 financial year with a minus.

“In total, it is the third year in a row for Borussia in which we will write a negative result. We would not have been able to get through this in this way if we had not piled on some fat in the years before,” said managing director Stephan Schippers in an interview with the “Rheinische Post”.

The 55-year-old said that would lead to a further reduction in equity. “We were at 103 million euros in equity in 2019. At the beginning of this year it was still 72 million, and now it will continue to shrink in line with our annual result for 2022. Of course we don’t like that, but in a league comparison we are still in a good position,” Schippers found. A turnaround is to take place in the next twelve months: “Of course, the aim will be for us to be back in the black in the 2023 financial year.”

Nevertheless, there will “definitely not be any initiative from Borussia” to push ahead with the transfer of courted top performers such as Marcus Thuram or Ramy Bensebaini this winter. The two professionals, who are being courted by several clubs, could both move free of charge at the end of the season due to expiring contracts, as could goalkeeper Yann Sommer. “From a purely financial point of view, of course I’d rather have a player who leaves us now and who still brings us something. But the financial point of view always follows a sporting point of view. Ramy and Marcus are key players who we would miss immediately. And now we want to finish this season in the best possible way,” said Schippers.

Despite ongoing speculation about a transfer, he has not yet given up hope of a contract extension: “Maybe it’s a dreamy view, but maybe at some point a situation will arise in which one of the two can imagine staying. “