Nuri Sahin has been appointed Borussia Dortmund coach in succession of Edin Terzic while veteran defender Mats Hummels is leaving the Bundesliga club.
Dortmund said on Friday that their former player Sahin, who returned to the club as an assistant coach in January, will receive a contract until 2027. He has previously coached Turkish side Antalyaspor.
Hummels, at 35 the same age as Sahin, will meanwhile not have his contract renewed after a total 13 years at the club, Dortmund said earlier in the day.
The departure of Hummels and former captain Marco Reus, plus the resignation of Terzic and appointment of Sahin signal a shake-up at the club which finished a disappointing fifth in the Bundesliga last term while reaching the Champions League title.
Sahin to bring back success
Terzic's position was already under threat earlier in the season but club leaders decided to stick with him while bringing in Sahin and another former player in Sven Bender in January to help.
"Nuri Sahin helped us reach the final of the UEFA Champions League last season. He has the experience here as a player and assistant coach to know how BVB works – and above all he knows how to be successful," sporting director Sebastian Kehl said.
Former Turkey midfielder Sahin played 274 matches for Dortmund between 2005 and 2011 and won the Bundesliga title in his final season. He coached Antalyaspor 2021-2023.
"It is a great honour for me to be head coach of Borussia Dortmund. I would like to thank everyone in the club’s senior management team for the faith they have shown in me, and I am hugely looking forward to my new role at BVB," he said.
"From day one we will do everything we can and work with energy and passion to make this club as successful as possible.”
Like the 41-year-old Terzic, he comes from within the club, after Dortmund had announced the immediate resignation of Terzic on Thursday.
Terzic won the German Cup with Dortmund in 2021 as interim coach and then helped them finish runners-up in the Bundesliga in 2023 and reached the Champions League final this month when in permanent charge.
Sahin will oversee a partly new-look team which is also to play attractive attacking football again.
"With his natural authority and expertise he has a good relationship with our team, and he knows what we need to work on collectively. Nuri has our full confidence and our full support," Kehl said.
Hummels exit
Sahin's team will have a new hierarchy now that Hummels is following Reus with their contracts not renewed.
The 2014 World Cup winner Hummels played at Dortmund 2008-2016 and returned in 2019 from boyhood club Bayern Munich. Dortmund bosses were reportedly not happy about public criticism from him on Dortmund's playing style right before the Champions League final.
"Mats was one of the driving forces behind Borussia Dortmund over the last 15 years. He won lots of trophies," managing director for sport Lars Ricken said.
"Mats’ play as a centre-back was and is outstanding, and entire generations of players would love to have his ability to play the ball with the outside of his foot."
Hummels won the Bundesliga with Dortmund in 2011 and 2012, and the German Cup in 2012 and 2021. Together, they were also Champions League runners-up in 2013 and 2024. He also has three Bundesliga titles ad one German Cup with Bayern.
“It was a huge honour and a joy for me to play for BVB for such a long time, and to be almost ever-present on the journey from 13th place in the table in January 2008 to what Borussia Dortmund represents today," Hummels said.
"This club and its fans are special – and for me they’re much more than that."
Hummels is expected to continue his career elsewhere as he recently named retirement an unlikely option.
