Borussia Dortmund Sack Head Coach Nuri Sahin

Borussia Dortmund have parted ways with head coach Nuri Sahin following a disappointing start to the 2024-25 season, which has seen the team eliminated from the German Cup and struggling in the Bundesliga. The decision comes after Dortmund’s 2-1 defeat to Bologna in the Champions League on Tuesday, their fourth consecutive loss in all competitions.

Sahin, who was appointed as Edin Terzić’s replacement in June, expressed his regret at not being able to meet the club’s sporting ambitions. “Unfortunately, we have not managed to live up to Borussia Dortmund’s sporting ambitions this season,” Sahin said. “I wish this special club all the best.”

Dortmund sporting director Lars Ricken acknowledged the club’s appreciation for Sahin and his work but admitted that the recent string of poor results had led to a loss of faith in the team’s ability to achieve their goals under the current management. “We value Nuri Sahin and his work very much,” Ricken said. “We hoped for a long-term collaboration and until the end we had hoped that we could achieve a sporting turnaround together.”

He added, “After four defeats in a row, due to only one win in the last nine games and currently tenth in the Bundesliga table, we have unfortunately lost faith in being able to achieve our sporting goals in the current constellation. This decision hurts me personally, but it was unavoidable after the game in Bologna.”

Sahin, a former Dortmund player who also had spells at Real Madrid and Liverpool, was expected to usher in a new era at the club following Terzić’s impressive run to the Champions League final last season. However, the team’s Bundesliga form under Terzić was less impressive, as they scraped into this year’s Champions League with a fifth-placed finish.

Despite Dortmund’s Champions League form providing some relief for Sahin, Tuesday’s defeat at Bologna proved to be the final straw for the club’s management. The team currently sits 10th in the Bundesliga table, a far cry from their usual position among the top contenders for the title.

As Borussia Dortmund begin their search for a new head coach, the focus will be on finding a candidate who can quickly turn the team’s fortunes around and guide them back to the upper echelons of German football. With a talented squad at their disposal and a passionate fan base behind them, Dortmund will be hoping to put their recent struggles behind them and mount a strong challenge in both domestic and European competitions.