On Tuesday, October 22, Real Madrid will host Borussia Dortmund at 16:00 (local time) at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium for the third matchday of the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Ahead of kickoff, an intriguing managerial duel will take place, pitting the experienced Carlo Ancelotti, 65, against one of the youngest coaches in world football: former midfielder Nuri Sahin, who is just 36 years old.
During his playing days, the midfielder was a pivotal player for the Black and Yellows, claiming multiple titles including the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and the Supercup of Germany, alongside a 12-year tenure with the Turkish national team.
His significant spell at BVB even earned him a move to Real Madrid, where he played for three years but struggled to make an impact due to persistent injuries.
Unfortunately, injuries cut short his career, and he hung up his boots in 2021 while at Antalyaspor at the age of just 33.
Immediately after retiring, Nuri transitioned into coaching, making a name for himself at the Turkish club, leading them to a commendable 7th place finish in the national league by the end of the 2021/22 season.
This achievement caught the attention of Borussia Dortmund, who invited him to join as one of the assistant coaches to then-manager Edin Terzic last season.
Following Terzic’s departure at the end of the 2023/24 season, after a second-place finish in the Champions League, Sahin received an unexpected call to take over the managerial role at the iconic club.
Despite his tender age of 36, he accepted the challenge and has since recorded 7 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses in charge of BVB.
This Tuesday, he will face the toughest test of his burgeoning managerial career against the formidable Real Madrid at the Bernabéu, a true baptism of fire.
Born in Lüdenscheid, a small town 50km from Dortmund, Sahin joined the youth ranks of Borussia in 2001.
Like many of his teammates, he frequently served as a ball boy during the first team’s matches, particularly on Champions League nights.
It was on one of these occasions that he had his first encounter with Real Madrid, at the age of 14, closely witnessing the thrilling match between Dortmund and the Merengues in the 2002/03 Champions League season.
He even appeared on TV celebrating Koller’s opening goal for the German side, before feeling dejected when the Spaniards equalized, thanks to a certain Zidane.
Despite being a declared Dortmund fan, Nuri was so captivated by the magic of the white club that he made a promise to himself: one day, he would play for Real Madrid.
“I remember exactly how beautiful the white kit Real wore that night was,” Sahin wrote in 2017 in The Players’ Tribune.
“That kit was stunning. And they played very well too. During the second half, I remember thinking: ‘One day, I will play for Dortmund. But no matter what happens, I will also play for Real Madrid one day,’” he added.
His dream materialized when he donned the Real Madrid jersey for a single season, winning La Liga in 2011/12.
However, owing to various injuries, he was limited to just 10 appearances in a Madrid shirt, scoring 1 goal.
After a loan spell at Liverpool and a return to Borussia Dortmund, he left Madrid in the 2013/14 season to permanently return to his childhood club.
Nuri Sahin was an essential part of the Borussia Dortmund team that dominated German football in the early 2010s.
The midfielder was a standout figure in the spine crafted by coach Jürgen Klopp, serving as the midfield general.
One iconic moment with Klopp was immortalized during the Bundesliga title celebrations in the 2010/11 season, where a viral image of Nuri colliding with the coach, who had been nicknamed “Harry Potter” by his players, circulated online.
After the trophy was secured, Sahin and Klopp collided during the celebrations, resulting in the complete destruction of the coach’s famous glasses.
Following the conclusion of his second spell at Borussia Dortmund in 2018, Sahin moved to another top German outfit: Werder Bremen.
As he continued to struggle with physical issues, spending more time in the treatment room than on the pitch, the midfielder began preparing for life after football.
In 2018, he enrolled in a sports management course at Harvard University, one of the most prestigious institutions in the United States.
The athlete, who had Brazilian star Kaká as one of his classmates, completed the course but decided to continue his professional career, signing with Antalyaspor in 2020.
However, the following year, he retired from playing and began putting his Harvard lessons into action in his coaching career.
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