Under new coach Hennes Weisweiler, Borussia Mönchengladbach won promotion to the Bundesliga in 1964/65, at the same time as FC Bayern Munich. That was also when the new nickname, the Foals, took hold. What few people know is that the nickname has a double meaning.\n\nIt points to the “young foals,” because Weisweiler at times fielded by far the youngest team in the league, with an average age of only 21.5, made up largely of players from the region or even from the club’s own youth setup.
At the same time, it was a synonym for Gladbach’s fast, adventurous, attack-minded football, built on pressing, long passes and quick transitions — then simply known as Gladbach counterattacking football.