Borussia Dortmund sack Nuri Sahin after four consecutive defeats

Borussia Dortmund have sacked head coach Nuri Sahin with the team locked out of the German Cup and struggling in the Bundesliga.

“Unfortunately, we failed to live up to Borussia Dortmund’s sporting ambitions this season,” Sahin said. “I wish this special club all the best.”

The news comes after Dortmund lost 2-1 to Bologna in the Champions League on Tuesday. Dortmund had led but conceded two goals in two minutes to collapse to a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions.

“We really appreciate Nuri Sahin and his work,” Dortmund sporting director Lars Ricken said. “We hoped for a long-term collaboration and until the end we had hoped to be able to achieve a sporting recovery together.

“After four consecutive defeats, thanks to only one victory in the last nine matches and currently tenth in the Bundesliga standings, we have unfortunately lost confidence in the ability to achieve our sporting goals in the current constellation. This decision hurts me personally, but it was inevitable after the match in Bologna.”

Sahin, who was appointed in June to replace Edin Terzić, was expected to usher in a new era, but the former Dortmund player’s reign proved short-lived with the team 10th in the league and it appears unlikely that She qualifies for the Champions League next season.

Their Champions League form proved to be a tonic for Sahin, but Tuesday’s defeat at Bologna prompted the club’s management to drop the former Real Madrid and Liverpool midfielder.

Terzić led Dortmund on an improbable run to the Champions League final last season, where they were beaten 2-0 by Real Madrid, although the team’s league form was less impressive then that they qualified for this year’s Champions League with a fifth place.