26
July
2021
|
09:44
Europe/Amsterdam

A new recruit for the Foals: German football club Borussia Mönchengladbach opts for MAN power

Summary

Borussia Mönchengladbach’s new signing is dynamic, powerful and 100% reliable: In future, the players and coaches will travel to their home and away matches in a luxurious MAN Lion's Coach – their new team bus.

  • MAN Truck & Bus hands over new team bus to German football club Borussia Mönchengladbach
  • By opting for the MAN Lion’s Coach, the club is putting its faith in an award-winning, top-of-the-range model with an extensive array of interior equipment
  • Fostering talent: The club’s youngsters will also be ferried around in their own fleet of 20 MAN TGE minibuses
  • MAN has been an official partner of Borussia Mönchengladbach since 2012

New to the team and already at the heart of the action! Only a few days after the official handover, Borussia Mönchengladbach's new team bus made an impressive début: The MAN Lion's Coach brought footballers, coaches and support staff safely and comfortably to the club’s training camp in Harsewinkel, around 200 kilometres away. There, coach Adi Hütter's team is preparing for the new Bundesliga season. “The team was extremely relaxed when we arrived and that’s exactly what we wanted. We need a team bus that enables the athletes to switch off and relax so that they can put in top performances on the pitch,” says Max Eberl, Sports Director of VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach 1900 GmbH, adding: “We have put our faith in MAN team buses for many years now and we only have positive things to say about them.”

Alongside Max Eberl, Stephan A.C. Schippers, Managing Director of VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach 1900 GmbH, and head coach Adi Hütter, some of the players themselves were also in attendance to meet the new signing, who was presented by Holger Mandel, Member of the Executive Board for Procurement at MAN Truck & Bus SE, at the official handover at Borussia Park. “We are delighted that this partnership is still going strong and that a reliable MAN bus will continue to take the Foals to their matches in the future. With this contract extension, we will continue to have success together, at the very least until 2023,” says Mandel. The partnership between MAN and Borussia Mönchengladbach began back in 2012. At the heart of this partnership is the MAN Lion's Coach as the club's team bus, which, with its 510 hp (375 KW) engine, is in no way inferior to the elite athletes in terms of strength and dynamism – and is a real eye-catcher at the same time. With its eye-catching paintwork in the club colours of black, white and green and the club logo, the bus will leave you in no doubt that the Foals are on board.

With an extensive array of interior equipment, a relaxing journey is guaranteed

The interior of the almost 14-metre-long MAN Lion's Coach is also impressive. “The extensive array of interior equipment ensures that the footballers travel in great comfort to their away matches – something that is vital to the club. After all, this is where the final preparations for the match take place, but also where the team recovers afterwards,” says Rudi Kuchta, Head of Business Unit Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, before adding: “So the team bus is a great deal more than simply a means of transport.”

The 30 luxurious passenger seats are equipped with adjustable footrests and backrests – 24 of which also have electrically adjustable table/leg rests. And to ensure that the team is properly catered for at all times, the bus also has a kitchen with fully automatic coffee machine, a stainless steel sink and a refrigerator. Ambient lighting makes for a pleasant atmosphere throughout the journey and the extensive range of multimedia equipment including sound system, two 19-inch screens and USB ports provides entertainment. “It's always a special feeling getting on a brand new team bus. And this one is really well kitted-out. I'm looking forward to the trips to the away games, where you can sit back and focus on the upcoming game,” says Lars Stindl, captain of the Foals.

The luxurious coach is powered by the 6-cylinder, Euro 6 D2676 LOH diesel engine. It is exceptionally quiet and smooth-running thanks to its automated 12-gear MAN TipMatic manually operated gearbox with integrated retarder. But the MAN Lion's Coach is not only impressive in terms of performance and smoothness of operation, but also in terms of safety. It is equipped with numerous assistance systems such as the Electronic Stability Program ESP, the Lane Guard System LGS with haptic warning function, the Emergency Brake Assist EBA, a rain sensor and the MAN AttentionGuard attention assistant.

Bundesliga team's youngsters climb aboard the TGE Kombi

By the way, it’s not only the professionals at Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach who get to experience MAN vehicles: Twenty TGE Kombi vehicles emblazoned with the slogan “Aus Talenten werden Fohlen” (Developing talent into Foals) are in use on an almost daily basis for the club's youngsters. The minibuses are used to pick the players up from their homes. But they are also used for journeys to training camps and on matchdays. However, because the Covid-19 pandemic meant that the youth teams were temporarily unable to play or train, one of the MAN TGE minibuses was converted into a cold weather bus to help the homeless at the end of 2020. The seats were removed and the van was laminated with the slogan “Für diese Stadt, für diese Fans, für diesen Verein” (For this city, for these fans, for this club). This way, homeless people could be provided with warm meals, hot drinks as well as blankets and other supplies during the cold winter months. And together, Borussia Mönchengladbach and MAN Truck & Bus support the homeless shelter organisation “Wir für MG - Obdachlosenhilfe Mönchengladbach e.V.”.

Sponsoring sport: MAN's long-standing commitment

In addition to Borussia Mönchengladbach, MAN Truck & Bus sponsors three other Bundesliga football clubs: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig. “We have been involved in sport for many years. When it comes to team sports, it’s impossible to miss our team buses these days,” says Kuchta, confidently. A growing number of elite athletes from all over Europe are travelling to their home and away matches in an MAN or NEOPLAN team bus – and often with great success.