Wednesday, October 06, 2021
Nuri Sahin has a new job
Professional trainer overnight
Nuri Sahin still plays football, no longer in the Bundesliga, but in the Turkish Süperlig. At least he still played football at Antalyaspor until yesterday. Now he has been promoted to coach. At his club they put a lot of pressure on him.
When the president of the Turkish first division team Antalyaspor spoke to the team after dusk, Nuri Sahin was no longer part of it – at least at first glance. His previous teammates wore red training jackets; Sahin, standing a few steps to the left of the President, had slipped on a black one.
On its homepage Antalyaspor announced a little later what President Aziz Cetin had already let the players know: Sahin is now the coach of the 14th of the Süper Lig and thus the successor to Ersun Yanal, who after the 1: 2 on Friday with promoted Adana Demirspor was released on Monday. But maybe he’s also a player-coach, it’s not that clear.
Sahin, born in Lüdenscheid and 33 years old for a month, came to Antalya from Bremen a year ago. He has said often enough that he wants to run a club one day. Now he’s become a trainer, almost overnight. “We were looking for someone who knew the club and the team,” said Cetin and noted with satisfaction: “We didn’t go far.”
A five-year contract
Sahin has already seen a lot in his life as a footballer: He played for Feyenoord Rotterdam, Real Madrid and Liverpool FC, repeatedly and especially for Borussia Dortmund – and most recently at SV Werder. Now, according to Cetin’s will, he is supposed to “develop” a team, for which he has received a five-year contract.
Sahin obviously did not hesitate long to take up the challenge in an awkward position. After all, the motto of his own “Nuri Sahin Academy” is: “Don’t wait for someone to save you. Be your own hero!” He said to his previous team-mates: “I have taken on a great responsibility. I believe in you – and that we will be successful together.”
How far this “together” goes for Sahin, whether the coach Sahin will set up the captain and director Sahin in the future, remained unclear for the time being. “Whether he continues to play football is his decision, it depends on his preferences,” said the president.