Borussia Dortmund have parted ways with manager Nuri Sahin after a wretched run of defeats.
The 36-year-old has been relieved of his duties at the giant German club following their 2-1 defeat to Bologna in the UEFA Champions League. That followed league losses to Bayer Leverkusen, Holstein Kiel and Eintracht Frankfurt, which left Dortmund 10th in the Bundesliga.
Attention will quickly turn to the identity of Sahin’s successor in the BVB dugout. Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been touted as a possible future Dortmund boss.
Sky Germany have claimed that Ten Hag has a ‘very good’ relationship with Dortmund advisor Matthias Sammer, which could tip the scales in his favour when the club come to appoint a new manager.
What Nuri Sahin said about Dortmund sacking
Sahin, who had two spells as a player with Dortmund, admitted regret over how his tenure had panned out. The former Turkish international was appointed in the summer after Edin Terzic’s departure. He’d previously had a two-year stint in charge of Antalyaspor.
“Unfortunately, we have not managed to live up to Borussia Dortmund’s sporting ambitions this season,” said Sahin. “I wish this special club all the best.”
Dortmund sporting director Lars Ricken said the club “lost faith in being able to achieve our sporting goals” with Sahin in charge, adding that the sacking was “unavoidable after the game in Bologna”.
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Who will be the next Borussia Dortmund manager?
Ten Hag is firmly in the mix to take over as manager, according to reports.
Roger Schmidt could be the leading German candidate to land the job, after recent spells with PSV and Benfica boosted his reputation. Another option could be Niko Kovac, who has Bundesliga experience with Bayern Munich and, more recently, Wolfsburg.
Sebastian Hoeness, the highly thought-of head coach of Stuttgart, is another man who could be tempted by the position at Signal Iduna Park.
