Borussia Dortmund coach heaps praise on Real Madrid starlet ahead of UCL encounter | OneFootball

Real Madrid are set to take on Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, in what will be a rematch of last season’s final.

A lot has changed for Dortmund since the UCL final, including the appointment of Nuri Sahin, who replaced Edin Terzic as head coach this past summer.

This will be a special game for Sahin, who played for Real Madrid between 2011 to 2014. Although he featured in only ten competitive matches during this period, he is well aware of the atmosphere at Santiago Bernabeu.

Nuri Sahin lauds Arda Guler

Heading into Tuesday’s encounter, the Dortmund coach has heaped praise on Real Madrid star and his fellow countryman Arda Guler.

In an interview with Mackolik, Sahin said, “Arda Guler is different. I want him to be very successful. Inshallah, one day I hope to be his coach.”

Arda Guler has had a disappointing season so far (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)

Sahin’s statement comes on the back of Guler’s difficult start to the 2024/25 campaign, where the young attacker has struggled to gain regular game-time under Carlo Ancelotti.

The young Turk has failed to gain the trust of the Real Madrid coach, who has highlighted the attacker’s lack of defensive contributions.

Guler, in fact, is unlikely to play a big role when Real Madrid take on Borussia Dortmund or for the upcoming Clasico against Barcelona, for that matter.

Guler’s struggles have led to speculation about his future at the club, though the Turkish international remains determined to continue at Santiago Bernabeu.

It will be interesting to see if the youngster’s fortunes turn around in the coming months. But for now, he will have to play the waiting game.