At least far from home there was an ideal world. The opening of the BVB office in New York was relaxed with 300 invited guests from politics, business and sport. But the glamorous event with which the Bundesliga fourth-placed team is promoting its internationalization does not really fit the current tense situation.
After weak games in Wolfsburg (1:1), Eindhoven (1:1) and against Hoffenheim (2:3), the pressure is growing – especially for Edin Terzic. Another setback on Saturday at Union Berlin (3:30 p.m./Sky) would not only increasingly endanger Champions League qualification, but also the coach’s job. There is already talk of a “final” for the 41-year-old in various media.
Such bright headlines about his supposedly wobbly coaching chair cannot scare Terzic: “It doesn’t surprise me that things are getting restless after a week with two draws and one defeat. But ultimately it’s been like that the entire season. So I’m trying not to let that happen to let me approach.” Out of self-protection, he has been restricting his media consumption for a long time: “I’ve basically given up the habit of reading things,” he confessed, “that’s why I haven’t followed it in the last few days.”
Matthew speaks of a “quality problem”
He was thus spared criticism from Lothar Matthäus in a column during the week. For the record national player and Sky expert, the Terzic team is playing far below expectations. “The team is unsettled, something is wrong with them. Apparently they are carrying a virus that is slowing them down,” wrote the 62-year-old. “Many players who were brought in in the last 18 months have not met expectations. This creates a quality problem,” said Matthäus.
Even if the accusation was not specifically directed against the coach, it contributed to the growing criticism of Terzic. But he is now used to tricky situations. It was predicted several times that he would soon end at BVB. Most recently last December, when the club management expressed their confidence in him after a regular meeting before the winter break. However, many observers saw the fact that two BVB legends, Nuri Sahin and Sven Bender, were given to him as assistants a little later as a growing doubt on the part of the bosses about the coach’s work.
The good relationship with Hans-Joachim Watzke could once again save the football teacher from losing his dream job. The managing director announced last August that he wanted to hold on to the self-confessed BVB fan Terzic for years. But in January it sounded different. “In retrospect, I don’t know if I would have said that again. Football is a results sport. If you lose 15 times in a row, it doesn’t matter what you said, then it just becomes difficult,” said Watzke.
Terzic warns against scaremongering
For Terzic, a lot will depend on whether the team can maintain fourth place in the table. With only one point ahead of pursuers Leipzig and a much more difficult remaining program with games against the top three from Leverkusen, Munich and Stuttgart, the desired return to the Champions League will be a shaky mission. Without the generous additional income from the premier class, the urgently needed restructuring of the team next summer would be more difficult to finance. The fact that several contracts are expiring increases the pressure.
Terzic responded to the increasing distrust with demonstrative confidence and warned against fear-mongering: “We are convinced that we will reach the Champions League. It is in our hands – we have to do everything we can in the next few weeks to remain clear and work calmly .”
