Dortmund bring abrupt end to Rose's reign

Borussia Dortmund will have a new man at the helm by the time their summer rebuild is complete after the club announced on Friday that they had parted ways with head coach Marco Rose.

The decision follows what the club called "an intensive season analysis" after his debut campaign saw Dortmund finish second in the Bundesliga without posing a serious threat to Bayern Munich's decade of dominance.

"This is not an easy day for all of us, because the mutual admiration among us was, is and remains strong. After a season that was unsatisfactory for various reasons, we had to realize that in several areas we did not get the maximum out of our potential," said Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke in a statement released on Friday.

Where did it go wrong for Rose?

Finishing as Bundesliga runners-up is a forgivable offence for any Dortmund head coach with the club resigned to the reality of not being able to compete financially with Bayern Munich. 

However, it was the early exits in the Champions League, Europa League and German Cup this season that did little to help Rose's cause. 

Having previously delivered Borussia Mönchengladbach a first Champions League knockout stage berth, guided Red Bull Salzburg's Under-19s to UEFA Youth League glory and fashioned the senior side into genuine Europa League contenders, Rose's reputation as a cup specialist diminished in Dortmund.

"Despite a difficult season with many incalculable factors, I was convinced of our vision," said Marco Rose, who in his debut season had a squad lacking synergy in light of Jadon Sancho's departure and an alarming number of injuries that resulted in long-time physio Thomas Zetzmann let go.

"During our conversation, I had the growing impression that the 100 percent confidence of all those in charge was no longer present," continued Rose. "Ultimately, we have therefore decided together to end the relationship."

Where do Dortmund go from here?

It seems Dortmund are still stuck in in the rebuild phase of their project. The summer was already turbulent enough before Friday's announcement with club icon and sporting director Michael Zorc handing the role over to Sebastian Kehl and Erling Haaland becoming the latest big-name departure. 

Dortmund have offset that by announcing a string of signings that unlike Haaland, Sancho and perhaps Jude Bellingham in the future, aren't just joining to bounce off the BVB springboard. Nico Schlotterbeck, Niklas Süle and Karim Adeyemi are all astute acquisitions by Kehl and a reaction to the club's weakened presence in the national team circuit.

While their transfer business appears to be far from over, finding the right man to replace Rose will be Kehl's first big test. Dortmund have been searching for a perfect fit since Jürgen Klopp left the post in 2015, but can ill afford to keep the coaching merry-go-round spinning if they want to give Bayern a genuine run for their money at the Bundesliga summit.

In Edin Terzic they had a young unproven head coach that had won the German Cup at the end of last season, but more important someone who strongly identified with the club, fans and players. The fact Terzic was waiting in the wings during the campaign certainly didn't make life an easier for Rose in his sole season.

As they go in search of a replacement, whether Dortmund look for title-winning pedigree or turn back to someone like Terzic, there is a sense that this will be a defining decision as they look to shape a different future.

Edited by Matt Ford