After one of the worst Rückrunde openings in club history, it’s only natural that trainer Nuri Sahin has found himself in the hot seat. How long the Turkish manager and former BVB playmaker remains coach is to be determined, but unless results make a sudden and noticeable improvement, then it’s logical to think Nuri Sahin’s tenure will meet a premature conclusion.
Many names have been floated as possible short-term replacements as club ‘caretaker,’ similar to Edin Terzic’s first stint in charge. Names like Nico Kovac and Sandro Wagner have been intriguing.
Others, like Roger Schmidt and Erik Ten Haag, would only seem to work in Dortmund under the prospect of a long-term project, which is typical when looking for a new trainer. BVB will have to make a difficult decision about whether to seek a short-term solution to rescue the club from crisis or trust an experienced manager for a multi-season experiment
One name that has risen to prominence in recent Borussia Dortmund manager speculation is Sebastian Hoeneß, the 42-year-old German coach from Munich. Hoeneß seems like an ideal candidate to bring to the Westfalenstadion, but it’s not such a simple task.
Florian Plettenberg reports that Hoeneß would require a fee of €7-8 million fee to pay his release clause since he’s under contract with Stuttgart until 2027. The German trainer’s services will be additionally complex due to increased interest from both Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig.
The Hoeneß family is the same as Uli Hoeneß's, but Sebastian is determined to make his way in the managerial scene. He began his managerial career as the coach of Bayern Munich’s youth squad and then moved on to Hoffenheim, where he was manager for two seasons.
Nearly a year after he departed from Hoffenheim, Hoeneß signed on as head coach of struggling VfB Stuttgart, which was sitting at the bottom of the Bundesliga table. He led the squad into the relegation playoff, where they defeated a resurgent Hamburg side. The following season, Stuttgart finished second place in the Bundesliga and secured Champions League Football for the first time in over a decade.
There’s a reason he’s a hot prospect once he's also proven he can turn a team around. However, one might also ask the question: will Hoeneß be enticed to leave at all? He’s enjoying his time in Stuttgart with a squad worthy of the Bundesliga Top-Four. Only time will tell.