Terzic resigns as coach of Champions League runner-up Borussia Dortmund

DORTMUND, Germany — Edin Terzic resigned as coach of Champions League runner-up Borussia Dortmund on Thursday.

Terzic said he wanted Dortmund to start a “new era” with a new coach but there was no immediate word on a successor amid reports in German media that his assistant Nuri Sahin could take over.

Terzic's last game in charge was the 2-0 loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League final at London's Wembley Stadium on June 1.

“After the game at Wembley, I asked for a meeting with the club’s senior management team, because after 10 years at BVB (Dortmund) — including five on the coaching staff and two and a half as head coach — I feel that the club’s new era should begin with a new man on the touchline," Terzic said in a club statement.

"Everyone close to me knows that this has been a very difficult decision for me to take over the last few weeks, but after intensive discussions my fundamental feeling has not changed.”

A lifelong Dortmund fan, Terzic had until recently seemed to be in his dream job. Still, the club's shock run to the Champions League final came amid poor performances in the German league.

Terzic won the German Cup as interim coach in 2021 and was runner-up in the Bundesliga to Bayern Munich in 2023, dropping the title on goal difference after a draw in the last game of the season.

This year, Dortmund finished fifth in the Bundesliga, its worst result for nine years, and was knocked out of the German Cup in the round of 16.

“We have been through a lot together, and I have really enjoyed working alongside Edin to achieve our goals,” sporting director Sebastian Kehl said. "He will always be associated with our successes over the last few years, and I’m sure we’ll see each other again. Edin will now pursue his own path.”

Terzic's departure means yet another big decision for Dortmund, which has gaps to fill in its squad and Champions League income to spend.

Two of the starting lineup from the final against Madrid, left back Ian Maatsen and forward Jadon Sancho, were at the club only on loan. The 35-year-old central defender Mats Hummels' future remains unclear with his contract due to expire at the end of the month.

One big name is already confirmed to depart as forward Marco Reus prepares to leave as a free agent after 12 years. Right backs Marius Wolf and Mateu Morey are also leaving. 

In recent years, Dortmund has shifted away from a strategy of developing European soccer's top young talents, an approach which previously saw Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham play for the club before being sold to Manchester City and Real Madrid respectively. Instead, players like 31-year-old striker Niclas Füllkrug and 30-year-old midfielder Marcel Sabitzer were key signings.