For the planned comeback after the winter break, Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic has two former BVB crowd favorites at his side.
Ex-players Nuri Sahin and Sven Bender are returning to the Ruhrpott club and will support Terzic, who has recently come under criticism, as assistant coaches. The club confirmed this on Friday after various media had previously reported on it. The news came as quite a surprise; after the public commitment to Terzic a week ago, the team actually seemed to be the focus of changes.
“We have intensively analyzed the course of the season so far. One of our shared findings was to want to provide new impetus to the coaching staff,” said BVB sports director Sebastian Kehl, explaining the personnel changes in the coaching team. The previous assistant coach Armin Reutershahn is also leaving the club at his own request. Kehl, who became German champion with Sahin and Bender in 2011 wearing the BVB jersey, described the two new assistants as “professionals and personalities” who will “enrich the team both in terms of content and character”.
But the ex-professionals are also ambitious and ambitious. There is a risk that they could be seen as potential successors for Terzic (41) if the runner-up does not make up for the Champions League places in the second half of the season. But the head coach made it clear: “It was my clear wish to have Nuri and Sven as assistant coaches for us. I am extremely happy about the opportunity to have both of them at my side.”
Sahin (35) made his debut at BVB in 2005 at the age of 16 as the youngest Bundesliga player and – with stops at Feyenoord Rotterdam, Real Madrid and Liverpool FC – played a total of 274 games for the black and yellow team. For the past two and a half years he has worked successfully as head coach and sporting director at Turkish first division club Antalyaspor. He has now terminated his contract there, which runs until 2026.
“It was an incredibly intense, instructive and emotional time,” said the former Turkish international, who nevertheless decided to take on the new challenge with confidence: “If BVB asks, I can’t say no.” It felt “very nice to come home,” said Sahin: “As a coaching team, we will try together to get the team back on the road to success.”
His former teammate Bender (34) is also happy about his return. When the request came, he initially thought about it and “finally decided that I absolutely had to be a black and yellow person again,” said Bender. For this opportunity, he also terminated his contract as assistant coach of the U17 team of the German Football Association.
Terzic is under pressure after six competitive games without a win and falling to fifth place in the second half of the season. After a round of analysis lasting several hours, the club bosses agreed to continue working together. But doubts about his work had recently increased. “It’s not up to me to decide how long I’m here. Of course, the leadership and the result decide that,” Terzic said.
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DORTMUND (dpa-AFX)