Opinion: It’s time for Nuri Sahin to be sacked | OneFootball

I’ll be the first to say that I like Nuri Sahin. He was a player I liked, and I fully supported him as manager of Borussia Dortmund, even if I had some reservations. But watching Borussia Dortmund lose to Eintracht Frankfurt, I noticed something. Player body language was some of the worst I’ve ever witnessed from my favorite club. This is what Dortmund looked like when Stuttgart hammered them in Lucien Favre’s final match in charge. This is how they looked right before Peter Bosz’s sacking. Frustrated with one another, relying on penalty calls, and utterly confused.

Nuri Sahin has introduced some promising tactical concepts to this squad throughout the season, but I’d argue he’s tried a few too many. Whenever something isn’t working, he’s quick to change systems. The lack of consistency is hurting the players, and preventing any kind of cohesion. At this point, it feels like nothing is working and most Dortmund players aren’t performing anywhere near their potential. Many in this squad played in a Champions League final less than a year ago, but we haven’t seen any of that form this season.

I don’t want to omit the problems involving Hans-Joachim Watzke and his influence on the club’s current predicaments. The problems at Borussia Dortmund run much deeper than Nuri Sahin and the nepotism that landed him this job in the first place. In fact, it’s Watzke and his board who need to make the tough decision, admitting Sahin wasn’t the right person for the job, and replace him before European qualification becomes unattainable. Sure, terminating Sahin’s contract will come with a hefty fee, but if this team can qualify for Europe, then the bonuses would outweigh this cost.

The away win against Wolfsburg seems to be an outlier in Dortmund’s current form. The four matches preceding it included three draws and a loss, while the three matches of 2025 have all been defeats, and there are no signs of improvement. So why waste any more time?

Look, I think Nuri Sahin has the making of a good football manager, but he took the reigns of Borussia Dortmund with very little coaching experience, and the club is now feeling the repercussions of that. I do hope Sahin goes on to be a successful coach, and I could get behind a future return, but right now I don’t have any confidence in him to meet Dortmund’s minimum goals. A change needs to happen, and it needs to happen now.