Is this the age of the interim manager?
18 months after Hansi Flick was handed the keys to the Bayern Munich machine following Niko Kovac’s departure, the Bavarian legend is riding off into the sunset with a staggering seven trophies under his arm.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, meanwhile, has brought the fun back to Manchester United following the misery of Mourinho.
Edin Terzic also deserves huge credit for the way he’s turned Borussia Dortmund’s once-doomed season into something that can be considered a genuine success.
The German giants were in disarray when Lucien Favre was fired in December following a humiliating 5-1 home defeat to Stuttgart.
Terzic, a 38-year-old BVB fanatic and one of Jurgen Klopp’s most committed disciples, suddenly found himself parachuted into one of the biggest jobs in European football. And, after initial teething problems, Dortmund owe a serious debt of gratitude to the one-time West Ham assistant.
Not only has Terzic got Dortmund playing with an intensity and speed reminiscent of the early Klopp era, he has dragged his side into the Champions League places following a stirring run of six straight wins, overhauling Eintracht Frankfurt in the process.
Given how hard Dortmund have been hit by the pandemic, it can’t be understated how important UCL qualification is to the Signal Iduna Park club. A necessary cash injection may allow them to hang on to their star players for another year.
Terzic also has a trophy to show for his brief spell in charge of his boyhood club after a Jadon Sancho-inspired side battered Leipzig in the DFB Pokal final last week.
But what does the future hold now for Terzic?
Dortmund have already committed to hiring Marco Rose as head coach – despite the fact his Monchengladbach side are five places and 15 points adrift of BVB. Meanwhile, BILD claims Terzic has caught the eye of Premier League trio Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United.
“It was not easy for Edin to take over as an inexperienced coach in a situation like that. He has done really well from day one. We have always backed him,” captain Marco Reus said recently.
The Dortmund players – and supporters – are desperate for Terzic to stay. But, with the managerial bug biting, is he willing to step back into the shadows again?
Here’s what some BVB fans had to say on Twitter about the situation:
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