Sahin counted out

Crisis at Dortmund: Ex-Salzburg coach coming?

Sabitzer (left) is in crisis with Dortmund - will Roger Schmidt (right) take over?(Bild: APA/AFP/Ronny HARTMANN, APA/FILIPE AMORIM)

The hat is on at Borussia Dortmund! The Black & Yellows are reportedly already looking at candidates to succeed Nuri Sahin - will ex-Salzburg coach Roger Schmidt take over?

The club bosses in the stands fell asleep, the players slunk off the pitch half an hour before midnight on Tuesday with their heads hanging down. Borussia Dortmund had already bowed out in the second round of the German Football Cup with a 0:1 after extra time at coach Ralf Hasenhüttl's Wolfsburg.

"That's bitter. It's all coming together at the moment," analyzed coach Nuri Sahin, who seems to be counted out after the third away defeat in a row, the fourth in the last five games. A recurring pattern at BVB, Sahin's predecessor Edin Terzic also left the club in June after constant cross-fire from the club's environment.

How much longer will Nuri Sahin be Dortmund coach?(Bild: AFP/APA/INA FASSBENDER)

Backed up
Which is why the club's top management is now trying to nip the looming coaching discussion in the bud by demonstratively backing up Sahin: "We will stand together. We'll get through this together," said sporting director Sebastian Kehl. "Unfortunately, the squad is quite small at the moment due to the injury situation. We are lagging behind our standards."

Is ex-Salzburg coach Schmidt coming?
Sahin has been counted out - successor candidates are already being discussed in the background. One of them is former Salzburg coach Roger Schmidt, who is on Dortmund's list according to Sky. The 57-year-old is said to have been repeatedly discussed by BVB bosses in the past.

Schmidt was dismissed by Benfica Lisbon in August. Work is currently underway to terminate his contract, which runs until 2026. In addition to Benfica Lisbon and Red Bull Salzburg, the 57-year-old has also coached Bayer Leverkusen, PSV Eindhoven and Beijing Guoan, among others.

Borussia hardly have time to lick their wounds, with Leipzig coming to Signal-Iduna-Park on Saturday evening for a German Bundesliga clash. The "Bulls" boosted their confidence with a 4:2 cup win over St. Pauli, with ÖFB team player Christoph Baumgartner scoring a goal and an assist. "We did a lot of what we set out to do on the pitch. Above all, we were better with the ball and in counter-pressing than in the last game against St. Pauli. The fact that we quickly took our first chances helps in a game like this. It was a deserved win," said "Baumi". "We're happy that we're one round further this year than last year," smiled coach Marco Rose.