BORUSSIA DORTMUND MANAGER EDIN TERZIĆ LEAVES THE CLUB AFTER REQUESTING HIS CONTRACT BE TERMINATED
Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzić has left his role as head coach of the club with immediate effect, the team announced on Thursday.
Terzić, who guided Dortmund to their first UEFA Champions League final in over a decade this month, is moving on in what is a significant surprise as the young German manager requested his contract with the club to be terminated. After discussions with the top brass at Dortmund, including a final seating in Brackel, East Dortmund, on Thursday morning, the club agreed to his request.
“Dear Borussia,” said Terzić in a statement released by the team on Thursday. “It is incredibly painful for me to say this to all black and yellow fans, but today I am parting company with Borussia Dortmund. It was a huge honor to lead this great club to a DFB Pokal victory and recently a Champions League final.”
“After our final in Wembley, I asked for a meeting with the club’s senior management team because, after nine years at BVB, including six years in the coaching team and two and a half years as head coach, I feel that the club’s new era should begin with a new man on the touchline. Everyone close to me knows that this has been a very difficult decision for me to take over the last few weeks but after intensive discussions, my fundamental feeling has not changed.”
“I wish Borussia Dortmund the very best and this isn’t goodbye, it’s see you soon.”
According to Sky Sports in Germany, Terzić is said to have tendered his resignation from the head coaching role on Wednesday evening and the team quickly set a meeting for early Thursday morning.
Sky Sports in Germany reported that the 41-year-old manager left out the back entrance following the meeting on Thursday. Amongst the attendees of the meeting included the club’s top brass – Hans Joachim-Watzke, Sebastian Kehl, and Lars Ricken – BVB assistant coach Nuri Sahin, and club legal advisor Robin Stegen, who drafts contracts for the organization.
Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said in a statement: “Edin Terzić has done an outstanding job at his time and we all owe him a huge debt of gratitude. Edin and I will always remain friends.”
“Edin is thoroughly Borusse,” said Borussia Dortmund’s Sporting Director Sebastian Kehl. “A great, very authentic person and has always been 100 percent committed to BVB. We have experienced a lot together. It was great fun working with Edin on our goals. Our successes of the past years will always remain connected to him – and I am sure that we will see each other again. Edin will go his way.”
Terzić, who has been a lifelong Dortmund fan, won the DFB Cup with BVB in 2021 and narrowly lost the Bundesliga title to Bayern Munich in a spirited title race on the last day of the 2022/23 season. The Ruhr University alumnus was a season ticket holder, worked at the club in various roles including under former boss Jurgen Klopp and undertook roles like team scouting, interim manager and recently first-team head coach.
Dortmund’s Managing Director Lars Ricken said: “I worked with Edin Terzić in his time as a youth coach, as technical director and most recently as head coach for a long time. In all positions, it was a privilege for him to be able to work for this club. Many conversations in the past few days have once again demonstrated his love and passion for BVB.”
“Edin will always remain a Borusse and part of the BVB family.”
Terzić managed 128 games during his two and a half years at Borussia Dortmund. The 41-year-old guided the team to 77 wins, 24 draws, just 29 losses and had a win rate of 60.156%. Terzić guided Dortmund to a 5th place finish in the Bundesliga which earned them direct qualification for the Champions League next season.
According to reports from Germany, Terzić complained internally and externally about a lack of appreciation within the BVB environment, which he felt from abroad especially due to Dortmund’s outstanding Champions League campaign.
With Terzić out of the picture, first-team coach Nuri Sahin is set to take over the managerial job from next season and will be supported by assistant coach and former Dortmund player Sven Bender. BILD reported that Sahin had expressed his ambitions for the head coaching role from the background.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Sandro Halank. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.