Forgotten ex-LFC man is surprise favourite to be new Dortmund manager

Former Liverpool player Nuri Sahin is reportedly set to take over from Edin Terzic as Borussia Dortmund manager.

He may not cross the minds of Liverpool supporters too often, but Sahin is a respected name in European football, particularly at Dortmund, and became an assistant to Terzic in January.

His impression has been such that the former player is now set to be appointed as their new manager, according to multiple sources including Bild.

The German tabloid newspaper reported that the deal is now just a formality, with Sahin’s agent Reza Fazeli finalising details over the last couple of days.

This comes after Terzic asked to leave the club.

While the news hasn’t been made official yet, it does seem to be the truth and has been relayed by journalists including Fabrizio Romano, who said Sahin is the “priority option” for Dortmund.

As assistant coach over the last six months, Sahin helped take Dortmund to their first Champions League final in 11 years, which they lost 2-0 to Real Madrid at Wembley.

Sahin was a substitute on that last final appearance, also a defeat at Wembley, when Jurgen Klopp was manager in 2012.

The ex-Turkiye international played for Liverpool for just five months of his 18-month loan spell that was agreed in August 2012.

Sahin was a technically proficient central midfielder, but didn’t adapt quickly to Premier League football, playing 12 times and scoring three goals.

Also, he clearly didn’t get on too well with the manager, later saying: “Thank God I have left Brendan Rodgers.”

Sahin retired from playing while with Antalyaspor before becoming their manager. He made headlines in Turkiye for shielding a referee from his own players after a 2-1 loss to Fenerbahce.

The scenes unfolded in Antalya when the Antalyaspor player, Fernando, scored a stunning goal from outside the box in the eighth minute of stoppage time.

The linesman flagged for offside, with a VAR check ruling the strike out at the finest of margins as Haji Wright was adjudged to have infringed.

Jeers rained down on the referee, Kadir Saglam, and his officials at full-time, with Sahin forced to run onto the pitch and shield them from his own players.

After two years coaching the Turkish team, he left for Dortmund in late 2023, becoming an assistant to manager Terzic alongside Sven Bender.

Should the 35-year-old officially be appointed as Dortmund boss, he has a big job on despite them having reached the latest Champions League final.

Legendary defender Mats Hummels has just announced his departure, with the team needing to vastly improve on their recent fifth-place finish.

Most Liverpool supporters have a soft spot for Dortmund and, with Sahin never having spoke ill of the club itself, we wish him the best of luck!