Wage dispute set to send striker Tomas Cvancara (25) back to Borussia Mönchengladbach early

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Sport Bild reports that Czech striker Tomas Cvancara may be headed back to his Bundesliga parent club early. Borussia Mönchengladbach loaned the 25-year-old out to Turkey’s Antalyaspor on a season-long arrangement this past autumn. Thus far, Cvancara has scored two goals in 11 appearances across all competitions for the Scorpions.

The German tabloid nevertheless reports that the Turkish outfit has not paid Cvancara’s salary in months, even going so far as to claim that Cvancara has lodged a complaint with FIFA over the matter. Independent corroboration of such claims is lacking, but Cvancara has not been included in the matchday squad for the last three of the team’s four league fixtures. 

It’s possible that Cvancara’s absence is related to the wage dispute. Sport Bild reports that Antalyaspor has until the end of the calendar year to settle Cvancara’s back-pay or the loan will be terminated automatically. There’s no word yet as to whether Gladbach will then have to repay the €750,000 loan fee they secured for their player.

Does Tomas Cvancara have a future at Gladbach?

The recent prolific goal-scoring form of Gladbach striker Haris Tabakovic would lead one to conclude not. The matter of Cvancara’s very public problems with his club and the team leadership council last spring also speaks against there being any further collaboration. Despite all of this, there are several other factors to take into account. For starters, Tabakovic himself is only a loan player.

Cvancara’s issues with Gladbach also occurred under a different head coaching and different managerial regime. Both head coach Gerardo Seoane and sporting director Roland Virkus have since departed the club. The new managerial regime headed by Rouven Schröder and the Eugen Polanski’s coaching team may be willing to give the 25-year-old carte blanche.

The fact that team captain Tim Kleindienst has now suffered another injury setback also leaves the foals in need of some additional attacking assistance during the packed schedule of fixtures after Bundesliga play resumes in January. Kleindienst was among the players involved in Cvancara’s blacklisting last spring, but cannot currently help his team on the pitch.

GGFN | Peter Weis