Edin Terzic: Things to Know About the Interim Borussia Dortmund Manager

When things are going down the pan for a top flight football club in England, there's only one solution; hire one of Sam Allardyce, Neil Warnock or Harry Redknapp and let them work their pragmatic, age old magic.

Naturally, though, the Germans do things in a much more exciting, and infinitely more stylish, way. Rather than going for the seasoned veteran who might steer you clear of relegation, but will also leave you with a spine of 35-year-olds, the status quo is often to look for youth and select from the emerging crop of young, forward thinking coaches.

Borussia Dortmund have opted to keep it in-house for the time being and appointed Edin Terzic as interim manager until the end of the season, stepping up from his role as assistant under the recently sacked Lucien Favre.

We've seen him show his hand after he recorded an away victory against Werder Bremen in his first game as head coach, but we still know next to nothing about the man. So with that in mind, here's all you need to know about the German.

1. His Win Over Werder Bremen Wasn't His Managerial Debut

Terzic actually took charge of the squad in February 2019 when they drew 3-3 with Hoffenheim, with Lucien Favre out due to illness.

Dortmund went 3-0 up under his guidance - with help from Manfred Stefes - but went on to concede three goals late on. Unpolished, but a sneak peek into his tactical approach, which focuses on outscoring the opponent.

2. He Worked Under Jurgen Klopp

The spell with Der BVB that announced Klopp to the world in the early 2010s is unforgettable, but few will know that Terzic was involved in that operation.

During Klopp's spell as manager, Terzic worked as a scout for the eccentric German and was also in and around the coaching staff at academy, honing his craft and watching how Klopp made the wheels spin at his boyhood club.

3. He Played Semi-Pro Football to Pay for Coaching Licenses

While the next crop of upcoming football managers seems to stem from recognisable former professionals - think Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo, Mikel Arteta - Terzic never quite made it at the highest level.

He told West Ham's official website in 2015: “I was very young as a coach, so I started doing my coaching licences and studied sports science in Germany and paid my bills and university by playing semi-professional football".

After floating around the Regionalliga West, he hung the boots up in 2010 when Dortmund came calling, but has only recently acquired his pro licence.

4. He Worked at West Ham Under Slaven Bilic

Why did he give an interview to West Ham's website in 2015? Because then head coach Slaven Bilic had brought Terzic in as his assistant upon his appointment.

Terzic - whose mother is Croatian - served as Bilic's number two at Besiktas from 2013 to 2015 after helping him with the Croatia national team at Euro 2012, thus followed him to west London in 2015.

The German was therefore present and played a key role in guiding the Irons to their best ever Premier League points finish in 2015/16; their final year at the Boleyn Ground.

5. Sheffield Wednesday's Saviour...Almost

While the status quo for struggling teams in the Premier League is to hit the 'Big Sam' button, sides in lower tiers haven't been afraid to get a tad more adventurous with managerial appointments.

Huddersfield's appointment of David Wagner in 2015 was the spark in chasing young German managers, and Sheffield Wednesday were set to try their luck with that concept, too. According to the bookies, at least.

Following Gary Monk's dismissal in November 2020, Terzic was being talked up as one of the candidates in line to get the job. It didn't happen, though, and now Tony Pulis sits in the hot seat instead. Because of course he does.

6. Dortmund Born and Raised

Die Borussen have got it right already in terms of appointing someone who appreciates the size of their club and wants to see them succeed; Terzic was born in Menden, a city on the outskirts of Dortmund.

He told media that he first visited Signal Iduna park as a nine-year-old and will have grown up through Dortmund's Golden Age in the 1990s. If there's anyone more determined to bring those back, it's the boyhood fan.