Since stepping down as Borussia Dortmund‘s head coach in the summer of 2024, Terzic has stayed away from football management in a bid to “work hard to become a better coach.” The 42-year-old, however, feels ready to take on a new job “right away”, as he explained how he utilised the sabbatical to hone his skills and be prepared when a new opportunity comes his way.
Speaking to Suddeutsche Zeitung Terzic explained why he hasn’t taken up a new role yet, while confirming his desire to return to coaching immediately.
“If it’s a good fit, we can start right away. Since leaving Dortmund, I’ve tried, and that was extremely important to me, to catch up on a few things and experience a few things with my family,” Terzic said. “Fifteen years of club work were behind me. But outside of school holidays, which I was finally able to take full advantage of with my children, I also worked hard to become a better coach.
“In the last few months, a few very interesting doors have opened for me for a new job, but not all of them felt right enough. Saying no to the offers was a very conscious no. Or better yet, a yes to family and, at the moment, to further development. And I talked to colleagues, some of whom are a generation or two away from me and who have experienced it all. A few topics have been on my mind in recent years, and I wanted to talk to colleagues who had to answer similar questions and deal with similar emotions.”
Terzic revealed that he “made a lot of contacts” to build his future coaching team. “I don’t even know how many people I met for this,” he added.
The Menden-born manager also shed light on the courses he undertook to improve as a coach. “On the topic of standard situations, for example. I also started collaborating with two companies in the field of data analysis and artificial intelligence,” he stated.
Terzic got his first taste of being the head coach in December 2020, when he took over as Dortmund’s interim manager after the sacking on then-head coach Lucien Favre. He remained in the post until the end of the 2020-21 season, before returning ahead of the 2022-23 season on a three-year contract. In his first full season as the head coach, he almost led Dortmund to their first Bundesliga title in over a decade, only to lose out to eternal rivals Bayern Munich on goal difference after a shock 2-2 draw against Mainz on the final matchday. The following year, he guided BVB to the final of the Champions League, which they lost 2-0 to Real Madrid. In the aftermath of the result, Terzic announced that he would be stepping down as head coach.
Since he left Dortmund, Terzic has been linked with numerous teams. Most recently, Bayer Leverkusen were reportedly interested in appointing him following the dismissal of Erik ten Hag. “I am better prepared for a new coaching job than he did a year ago.” Terzic said, before adding, “I now want to apply the knowledge and ideas I’ve gained over the past year.”
When asked about a potential return to Signal Iduna Park, he said: “I don’t know, that always becomes such a big topic – which isn’t my intention at all. But I generally have great encounters in Dortmund. People come up to me and are happy to see me. Honestly, that’s the greatest compliment for me. I’m very happy about that.
“Looking back, I like to think about the energy we generated – at my first coaching position, in my late thirties, early forties. You wouldn’t believe how much I took away and learned from it: that we lost the championship in a brutal way and yet didn’t fall into a slump, but instead experienced another highlight at Wembley.”
