“We already knew in 2018 that Terzic was our man”

Following Lucien Favre’s dismissal, the Borussia Dortmund club bosses didn’t have to wait long to find a short-term solution. The successor was apparently ready for a long time.

On Sunday afternoon, BVB dropped the bomb: Lucien Favre was released with immediate effect. And his successor will also be introduced soon. Former assistant coach Edin Terzic will take over the team at least until the end of the season.

Terzic signed alongside Favre in 2018. As club boss Hans-Joachim Watzke reveals, the plan was already then that the Croatian could intervene if the Swiss failed. “We already knew in 2018 that Edin would be our man if there was a fire at some point,” says Watzke of “Bild.”

That’s why Terzic, who was already active in Borussia’s youth and scouting division between 2010 and 2013, returned. Meanwhile, the now 38-year-old was assistant coach for Slaven Bilic at Besiktas Istanbul and West Ham United.

However, it is not the plan for Edin Terzic to stay on the sidelines in the long term. As “Sport 1” reports, the interim coach should only work as head coach until June 30 and then return to the second level. BVB bosses are apparently fighting for a big name commitment. Gladbach coach Marco Rose and Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann are being traded as possible successors.

But everyone knows: if Terzic does his job well, it should be anything but impossible for him to be allowed to continue. A year ago, Hansi Flick also went from assistant coach to interim manager at Bayern Munich, then hitting the triple and was rewarded with a long-term contract until 2023.

“The contract will initially run until the summer,” BVB sports director Michael Zorc clarified again on Monday, but also leaves open the option of continuing with Terzic if success is appropriate. “Summer is far away, we will talk about that later.” In “Bild” Watzke describes what happens in summer as a “dynamic” process. “So nothing is clear at all. At some point we will see what we are doing. “

“It’s completely normal for Lucien to be disappointed.”

On the Favre split, Watzke says: “If you have the feeling that the story is over after two and a half good years, then you have to act. It was difficult for us, but we saw the need. “He hasn’t spoken to the Swiss yet.” I haven’t reached it yet. Lucien being disappointed is completely normal and I can understand that, “says Watzke.

The BVB chief reports that the decision makers had only one opinion when they discussed Favre’s future on Saturday after the 1: 5 applause against Stuttgart. Critical statements from the players would have played no role. “We are not a team that defends itself well. You have to be very clear about it, ”said Captain Marco Reus. Defense chief Mats Hummels spoke of “frills” in the structure of the game, “that bring little benefit.”

Terzic celebrates his debut this Tuesday

For new head coach Edin Terzic, things are going in rapid succession: on Tuesday he will swing the scepter on the BVB band for the first time during a guest appearance in Bremen. “There is no time for nervousness,” he says. However, he is very proud to be able to tackle this task now. “It is an incredible situation. I am also a product of this association. I went to the stadium for the first time when I was nine years old. Then it became clear who the heart beats for. I have never dared to dream of being the head coach here, ”said Terzic.

In the meantime, he seems to be completely focused on his new role and perhaps his unique opportunity. “Of course, that’s something to do with emotion. As a trainer you have to play different roles ”, he says decidedly and thoughtfully. After all, he was also responsible for the embarrassment last weekend. “But now there is a chance to fix it,” says the interim coach. As an assistant coach, he was like a partner to the players. Now Terzic announces: “There must be a difficult decision now, from my mouth.”