After leaving BVB: Sahin on track for success with Basaksehir | OneFootball

The table doesn't lie, as they say. Since Nuri Sahin (37) has been on the coaching bench at Istanbul Basaksehir, the capital club has been on the rise. The European Cup places are within reach.

After his departure from BVB in January 2025, Sahin was on the lookout for a club for a long time. It took about eight months before the native of Lüdenscheid could be seen on the sidelines again.

Under the management of Cagdas Atan (46), Basaksehir had a mixed start to the season. The former Bundesliga professional from Energie Cottbus lost his position after two draws against Kayserispor (1:1) and Eyüpspor (0:0) and being knocked out in the Conference League qualification against Uni Craiova.

Sahin started in mid-September 2025 with a 2:0 away victory against Karagümrük. However, things didn't initially go as hoped. Of the first ten matches in the Süper Lig, the former Dortmund head coach won only three, but suffered five defeats with his team.

“Impressive as a coach”

At the end of November, the 2020 champion achieved a turnaround with a 3:1 win at Kasimpasa. In the following eleven encounters, the Sahin team suffered only one defeat in the Süper Lig, a 2:3 against Besiktas. Basaksehir is now in fifth place in the table. Besiktas, in fourth, is only four points ahead. Next Saturday (March 14, 6 PM), the former BVB professional and coach will visit league leader Galatasaray in the top match.

Part of the success story is striker Davie Selke, who has plenty of experience in German football. The 31-year-old striker scored 22 goals last season to bring Hamburger SV back to the Bundesliga but couldn't agree on a new contract with the Hanseatic club afterward.

Photo: Getty Images

Initially hampered by a calf injury, Selke has been getting into better form as the season progresses. Across all competitions, he currently has ten goals and one assist. “I find him impressive as a coach,” the striker enthuses in an interview with kicker about Sahin's work. “I like his ideas and the style he wants to play,” he praises the attacking pressing that his head coach has used to elevate the Istanbul team.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.