Which supervisor developed three of the most costly footballers of all time – and one who, if bought, might appeal to the highest-ever switch charge? And which supervisor challenged for trophies each season and took his facet to the Champions League last in opposition to the percentages?
Step ahead Edin Terzić who, when he was assistant to Slaven Bilic at West Ham United, labored with Declan Rice after which, at Borussia Dortmund, managed , Jadon Sancho and, in fact, . He additionally coached Alexander Isak.
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The charges later realised for 3 of these gamers – Bellingham, Rice and Isak – had been every greater than £100m, with costing £73m. Haaland’s switch was a paltry £51m however that was solely because of a launch clause. His true worth is multiples of that.
Terzic led Borussia Dortmund to the 2024 Champions League last earlier than leaving membership – Getty Photos/Marvin Ibo Guengoer
“All these gamers can win the Ballon d’Or sooner or later,” Terzić says. “Even Jadon. From the expertise perspective, in the event you speak about Jadon then possibly 5 years in the past you’ll speak about Ousmane Dembélé [who won the prize this year with Paris St-Germain but also had discipline issues] in the identical method. I’m speaking in regards to the expertise and potential.
“The distinction is Erling will attain this degree if he stays hungry: Jadon will solely attain this degree if he retains smiling – and Jude must do each.
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“I actually love Jude. He and Declan Rice would be the key figures in English soccer for the following 10 years. They’ve management and Jude has the flexibility to provide options on the best ranges [and] make gamers round him higher. That is what he can do.”
And what can Terzić do? We’re discussing the thrilling younger gamers he has labored with (others embody Achraf Hakimi, Jamie Gittens and Ian Maatsen), however he’s additionally one of the crucial thrilling younger coaches in Europe – at 42 – who fulfils key necessities for golf equipment: he brings success and makes gamers higher.
The German resigned as Borussia Dortmund supervisor final yr having led them to the Champions League last the place they . It was a outstanding achievement, knocking out PSG and Atlético Madrid and pushing Actual Madrid, with Bellingham within the facet, all the best way in that last at Wembley.
Terzic is mobbed by Dortmund followers after overcoming Paris St-Germain within the semi-finals of the 2023-24 Champions League – Getty Photos/Matthias Hangst
Terzić believed he had taken Dortmund so far as he might and wished a brand new problem. He had received the German Cup in his first spell in cost in 2021 on the peak of the Covid pandemic and solely misplaced out on the Bundesliga title to Bayern Munich on aim distinction on the final day in 2023. Together with Jürgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel, Terzić is among the three most profitable coaches in Dortmund’s 116-year historical past and, like these two, has a ardour for English soccer.
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Terzić speaks fluent English and in addition accomplished his Professional-Licence beneath the Soccer Affiliation, the place he was in the identical cohort as Graham Potter, Nemanja Vidic, Nicky Butt and David James.
There has, prior to now, been curiosity in Terzić from Manchester United, Chelsea and AC Milan and he would look like the form of coach with the correct kind of profile for them sooner or later. He has just lately been linked with Monaco and Juventus.
He had some good outcomes in opposition to English golf equipment, performing effectively in opposition to Manchester Metropolis and Chelsea and progressing from a Champions League “group of loss of life” forward of Newcastle United, beating them twice.
Erling Haaland grew to become Europe’s most-wanted striker beneath Terzic at Dortmund – Getty Photos/Maja Hitij
He undoubtedly over-achieved. Haaland was excellent for Terzić as was Bellingham. Sancho is an much more intriguing case, given he earned his large transfer to Manchester United due to the best way he performed beneath Terzić in 2021. That didn’t work out with Sancho returning on mortgage to Dortmund and excelling once more in that run to the Champions League last. Now 25, Sancho is at present on mortgage at Aston Villa from United.
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“If you wish to get one thing particular out of the gamers it is advisable to give them one thing particular off the pitch,” Terzić explains. “And that is among the man-management expertise I’ve learnt over time. Jude is among the examples that labored out very well for us. He has had excellent seasons within the Champions League.”
How did he handle Bellingham whose behaviour has – rightly or wrongly – been beneath scrutiny as he was by Tuchel?
“One instance,” says Terzić, who helped Bellingham as an interpreter in addition to an assistant coach when he first joined Dortmund from Birmingham Metropolis in 2020. “I informed him I presumably received’t be round when he’s going to win the Champions League however I’m going to be round when he’s going to elevate his first trophy of his profession and that is what we did with the German Cup. So he was on a springboard.
“Sadly I used to be there when he lifted the Champions League trophy [at Wembley last year]! Each of us made our solution to the ultimate however he left us for a file charge and 10 months later we confronted one another within the Champions League last.”
Terzic says Jude Bellingham will probably be ‘a key determine in English soccer for the following 10 years’ – Getty Photos/Sascha Schuermann
That run was all of the extra spectacular given Terzić needed to adapt to the lack of Haaland. With the striker, Dortmund scored 85 league objectives, Haaland claiming 29. Submit-Haaland they solely scored two fewer with the top-scorer on solely 9 as Terzić tailored the system and methods of attacking.
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Bellingham was central to that and was given added accountability by changing into a “third captain” and – at 19 – wore the armband if the vastly skilled Mats Hummels and Marco Reus weren’t enjoying. “We tried to develop him from being a winner, as a result of he needs to win each recreation, into changing into a pacesetter,” Terzić says.
Terzić believes in treating gamers as people. For instance, with Sancho he acquired much less wound up in regards to the winger’s apparently poor time-keeping and labored exhausting to maintain him inside the membership’s guidelines. “On the pitch, I attempted to succeed in the enjoyment of the kid in Jadon – off the pitch, the skilled athlete in Jadon.” Terzić says.
Sancho in motion for Aston Villa of their defeat by Go Forward Eagles within the Europa League on Thursday – Getty Photos/Christof Koepsel
Not that guidelines can simply be ignored. “The one factor gamers hate greater than guidelines is that if there are not any guidelines,” Terzić says. “As a supervisor typically you’re a brother, typically you’re a father, typically it’s a must to be a lawyer and typically it’s a must to be a choose. What I don’t need to be is a policeman on a regular basis.”
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Now he is able to return to administration having used the previous yr properly, together with assembly many different managers to undergo their experiences and chatting with others exterior soccer about management.
“I’ve talked to lots of people since my time in Dortmund and developed a variety of concepts,” Terzić says. “However I don’t have any stress that I’ve to do one thing immediately. And it’s not the nation or the title of the membership that’s necessary for me – however that it’s a typical venture that all of us need to do collectively.”
