Champions League
Bologna as your last business trip? Sahin has to deliver with BVB
Borussia Dortmund competes in the premier class in Bologna. The game is significant far beyond the Champions League. The managing director clearly formulated the expectation.
At the start of Nuri Sahin’s most important week to date as coach of Borussia Dortmund, there is already speculation about his possible successor. Sandro Wagner, Erik ten Hag, Roger Schmidt – the names are already floating around on the Internet portals and in the newspapers. Nuri Sahin is still there.
Wrapped up in a thick jacket, the 36-year-old prepared his team in dreary Dortmund for the key game in the Champions League at FC Bologna and shortly afterwards set off with the team for Italy. The trip to Emilia-Romagna could actually be his last business trip as BVB coach.
Sahin still has the trust of his bosses. The question is: how long? “The arguments that a coach can provide are on the pitch,” says the coach. Sahin recently collected very few of them. Three games, three defeats is the shocking result this year. Dortmund is only in tenth place in the Bundesliga.
Sahin calls for courage despite uncertainty
Before the landmark premier class game in the seventh round of Serie A (Tuesday, 9 p.m./Amazon Prime Video), managing director Lars Ricken gave his coach a job guarantee, but only for this next game. “Nuri will sit on the bench in Bologna with the clear expectation that we now need victories and a sense of achievement,” said the 48-year-old.
Three points in the venerable Stadio Renato Dall’Ara would bring the Revierclub a big step closer to direct entry into the round of 16 without going through the playoffs. Sahin could probably continue working for now. In the event of a defeat, things would be really tight for the former BVB professional. A lot probably depends on the way Dortmund performs.
The uncertainty in the team, which is full of exceptional footballers, is palpable. Nevertheless, Sahin demands courage. Hiding doesn’t apply. “You can admit defeat to your fate and fall into self-doubt. Or you can say, I’ll accept the situation. Cheer out – and I’ll try to stand my ground now.” He wanted to see the second. “There’s no other way to get out of this,” said Sahin on DAZN.
Matthäus: “There is no hierarchy in the team”
Leaders who set a good example and pull the team along are in demand. The problem: BVB currently does not have these leading players. Top performers such as German national players Julian Brandt and captain Emre Can are currently struggling primarily with themselves and their performance.
Record national player Lothar Matthäus also sees Sahin as partly to blame. “There is no hierarchy in the team, there is no one who leads the team like a Kimmich in Munich or a Xhaka in Leverkusen,” said the Sky expert. “Sahin hasn’t found the team that has the DNA that we know from Borussia Dortmund.”
Anton: “There is no one here who gives up or does less”
The coach has the support of the team, and that is also how those responsible for sports see it. “The team showed on the pitch that they want to help the coach,” said Ricken after the 2-0 defeat on the last Bundesliga matchday in Frankfurt. And central defender Waldemar Anton explained: “There is no one here who is giving up or doing less. On the contrary: we will do more.”
Sahin will be happy to hear such words. But he will also know that at some point only results will count – also for his job. Maybe already in Bologna.
dpa
Source: Stern

I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.