Report: Nuri Şahin to Become Borussia Dortmund Head Coach

Having announced the departure of head coach Edin Terzić earlier today, Borussia Dortmund decided that now is as good a time as any to get all their news out of the way. A club representative is now hanging out of a window at Westfalenstadion, screaming all of the club’s news, on a rolling basis, into a megaphone. The biggest news of all? Borussia Dortmund are close to confirming that Nuri Şahin will replace Terzić as BVB’s head coach.

Bild are reporting that the deal is in the final stages, with Şahin’s agent in Dortmund today to discuss the details of his contract.

Şahin returned to the club in January to become a part of Edin Terzić’s coaching staff and, alongside Sven Bender, was charged with helping a struggling Dortmund side to improve its form and finish the season strong. The perception internally is that Şahin was successful in this, and he has reportedly been credited with playing a pivotal role in BVB’s run to the Champions League final. Now Şahin is rewarded with the top job, with Sven Bender remaining an essential part of his coaching staff.

I think this news will come as little surprise to anyone who has been paying attention. There were lots of rumors that Şahin was being primed to replace Terzić when he returned to Dortmund mid-season, and as soon as Terzić’s departure was announced, it seemed highly likely that this Şahin news would not be far behind. Şahin is a club legend, having come through the BVB academy and made over 250 appearances in a Dortmund shirt, but he is also a relatively unknown quantity as a coach. He spent a couple of seasons managing Antalyaspor, with a 46.81% win rate in 94 games, but very little is known about what kind of coach Şahin will be and whether he has the goods to lead Borussia Dortmund back to the top. Let’s hope the decision-makers at the club have seen something special in Şahin.