Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic has quit the club with immediate effect just two weeks after leading them to the Champions League final.
The 41-year-old asked Dortmund to terminate his contract after deciding he needed to pursue his career elsewhere.
Terzic is now expected to take an extended break from football but he would, eventually, be keen to work in the Premier League when the opportunity arises. He already speaks perfect English and was Slaven Bilic’s assistant at West Ham United from 2015-17 having previously worked with him at Besiktas.
Terzic leaving came amid reports in Germany of an angry confrontation with defender Mats Hummels – who was very critical of his tactics – that allegedly turned violent just days before the Wembley final against Real Madrid.
“I was furious because I was of the opinion that Borussia Dortmund shouldn’t play like that – against any opponent in the world,” Hummels had said earlier this season of the way Terzic approached games against big teams. “I didn’t think it could go on like this. I felt insulted in my honour to stand on the pitch in that kit. So submissive, so inferior in footballing terms.”
While there was clearly tension between Terzic and Hummels, which is not denied, the bust-up is not believed to have been a significant factor in the coach’s decision to leave the club.
Neither is there a sense that Hummels is right. Although Dortmund have endured a difficult domestic campaign – finishing fifth in the Bundesliga and qualifying for the Champions League – they excelled in Europe with a young team.
Instead Terzic believes he needs to try and manage elsewhere having now had two spells at the club he grew up supporting as a boy. He has been long-associated with Dortmund and, potentially, it was holding him back from fulfilling his ambitions.
There was also the question of whether Terzic had much power at Dortmund, especially when it came to the buying and selling of players. Also, it has been argued that Terzic was simply too emotionally attached to Dortmund and needed to go elsewhere.
It may well be that Terzic – who came close to being sacked before the German winter break – and Dortmund would have parted ways anyway should they not have reached the Champions League Final.
In a club statement, Dortmund said: “Borussia Dortmund and Edin Terzic are going their separate ways. The 41-year-old asked BVB to terminate his contract immediately. Borussia Dortmund agreed to the request after a joint discussion.”
Terzic later said: “Dear Borussians, even though it pains me greatly right now, I want to inform you that as of today, I will be leaving BVB. It was a tremendous honour to lead this great club to a DFB-Pokal victory and recently to a Champions League final.
“After our final in Wembley, I asked the management for a conversation because, after ten years at BVB, including five years in the coaching team and two and a half years as head coach, I feel that the upcoming restart should be led by a new person.”
Terzic replaced Marco Rose in 2022 and had a three-year contract that ran until the end of next season.