Not because of ‘foals’: Gladbach among the oldest Bundesliga teams

Borussia Mönchengladbach found a good start into the new year with a mandatory win at Arminia Bielefeld at the weekend. Marco Rose refrained from any experiments. With an average age of 28.7 years, on the contrary, he relied on experience.

As the Rheinische Post reported, it was the oldest Gladbach team since 2005. Under Horst Köppel, the Elf from Niederrhein played with an even older formation in a derby defeat against 1.FC Cologne. The Bundesliga record for Borussia was set by Holger Fach in 2004, who offered a starting line-up at VfL Bochum with an average age of 29.3 years.

Neuhaus is the youngest from Gladbach at almost 24

In contrast to the team at that time, with goalkeeper Claus Reitmaier at the biblical age of 39 for footballers, the current shortage of young players is not least the main factor in the Rose team. With Lars Stindl, Yann Sommer and Oscar Wendt, three players over 30 were on the field in Bielefeld, but the youngest was Florian Neuhaus, who will turn 24 in March. Local rivals Cologne recently relied repeatedly on teams that were younger than Neuhaus as the youngest Gladbach player on average. So there can hardly be any talk of ‘foals’.

‘Methuselah’ selection Frankfurt

However, with an average age of 26.8 in the season so far, Gladbach is not the oldest Bundesliga team. Union Berlin is 27, Eintracht Frankfurt even 27.6 years. Adi Hütter also sent the six oldest teams out onto the field individually for each match day. With the 28.7 years of Bielefeld, Gladbach is tied for ninth place. Incidentally, FC Bayern is one of the older teams in the Bundesliga, which makes it clear that a comparatively old team does not have to be a bad thing.

The oldest Bundesliga teams of the current season

(Average age of all starting formations, information via Transfermarkt)

1. Eintracht Frankfurt, 27.6 years

2. Union Berlin, 27 years

3. Borussia Mönchengladbach, 26.8 years

4. FC Bayern, 26.7 years

= 4. FC Augsburg, 26.7 years

6. Arminia Bielefeld 26.1 years

7. SC Freiburg, 26 years

= 7. Bayer Leverkusen, 26 years

9. Werder Bremen, 25.7 years

= 9. FC Schalke 04, 25.7 years

11. VfL Wolfsburg, 25.6 years

12. TSG Hoffenheim, 25.5 years

13. Hertha BSC, 25.2 years

14. Borussia Dortmund, 25.1 years

15. FSV Mainz 05, 25 years

16. RB Leipzig, 24.6 years

17. 1. FC Cologne, 24.4 years

18. VfB Stuttgart, 23.9 years

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