The evil spirits surround BVB coach Terzić

At the end of a poor first half of the Bundesliga season, Borussia Dortmund face FSV Mainz 05 - of all teams. The memories of the last duel hurt, but should no longer play a role, says coach Terzić - who is once again the focus of attention.

Dortmund came to a standstill on May 27, a day when the city had actually wanted to celebrate louder than it had for over a decade. Borussia, the team that gives most of the local population a sense of purpose, had prepared everything in a rousing sprint through the second half of the Bundesliga season to finally become German champions again on this day. And how good the omens were: A home game in front of over 80,000 hungry fans, plus FSV Mainz 05, a team that had barely got anything going in the previous weeks. The door was wide open, the Black & Yellows just had to walk through it.

But they refused to do so, having grown increasingly nervous from day to day in the run-up to the grand final. And shook like a lamb's tail during the decisive 90 minutes. The drama of the matchday didn't help them, their own deficit, Munich's lead in Cologne. The rest is a Black & Yellow nightmare, even if it was close at the end. In Müngersdorf, the surprised FC Bayern celebrated, in Dortmund BVB cried, captain Marco Reus and coach Edin Terzić cried. The South Stand chanted his name, the club and his coach stood side by side in the most difficult hour of his career. They were moments that tore hearts apart, shattered dreams and left a deep wound in the club's soul.

Matthäus calls for Terzić debate

Now it's time for a reunion in the last game of the year. And Terzić is once again one of the protagonists. He is at the heart of the attack. In the Champions League, he led his team through the group of death with aplomb and as league leaders, while the Bundesliga became a place of suffering. The second-round frenzy is just a spectacular story with the worst possible ending. As club boss Hans-Joachim Watzke recently reiterated at the annual general meeting. Dortmund now have completely different worries. The team has said goodbye to the title fight, which Bayer Leverkusen and FC Bayern are leading. 13 points behind the Werkself, that's more than a plank. The fact that they made up nine points on the record champions last season is no consolation.

BVB seem too fragile, too undefined in these (league) weeks to take heart. Too many players are struggling with themselves and their form. Almost all of the new signings are not, at least not consistently and at the highest level, the hoped-for reinforcements and there is no solution for the legacy of superstar Jude Bellingham. Currently fifth in the table, qualifying for the Champions League once again is a goal for which they have to fight much harder than they had imagined. During the winter break, there will now be a detailed review of the first series. And the coach's work will also be put on the table. Expert Lothar Matthäus virtually called on the bosses to deal with the Tercic issue.

Will the Mainz game this Tuesday evening (8.30pm on Sat1, Sky and in the ntv.de live ticker) really be a do-or-die game, i.e. a game in which the future of the coach is at stake, who has appeared increasingly desperate in recent weeks with constantly changing line-ups and tactical approaches in search of the winning formula? If not everything, then a lot will depend on how this game turns out and how the team plays. Once again, the opponent will be in extremely weak form, and nobody wants to experience a déjà vu with March 27 at the old Westfalenstadion.

"It doesn't matter at all anymore"

And so they try to banish the old ghosts from the surroundings of the largest arena. The drama "no longer matters at all", claims Terzić. He can probably say what he wants these days, every word is weighed on the pitch and the winter bill is factored in. The young coach has hardly been able to gather any arguments for himself away from the Champions League for weeks. Only one of the last six games has been won - the fact that it was mainly against the top teams from Leverkusen, Munich, Stuttgart and Leipzig does little to ease the situation. The manner in which some games were contested caused a lot of displeasure and discussion among fans. The identity had been lost and the atmosphere was constantly close to a tipping point. Nobody knew what BVB stood for anymore. Experts accused Terzić of playing scaredy-cat soccer.

Despite the worsening situation, the coach continues to feel the trust of the bosses. And his players too. "I feel the backing both from the people I work with and from the dressing room. Nothing has changed. We've been through a phase like this together twice before and have proven that we can do it." Bild also reports that the coach still enjoys credit with the bosses because he proved in the top flight, where PSV Eindhoven awaits in the round of 16, that he can do it, very well in fact. Sky, on the other hand, claims that several footballers spoke to the coach after the disastrous cup exit at VfB Stuttgart (0:2) and asked for a different tactic. It is said that Terzic was only prepared to adapt against his will. There are also said to have been talks with Watzke, and players are said to have questioned the cooperation with the coach. The BVB boss denied this.

After the final whistle on May 27, when the shock was still in everyone's bones, the fans in the south stand shouted to the players to "stand up". They did, but to this day they have not regained their sure-footedness. But against Mainz of all teams, they should - no, must - take safe steps, otherwise it will be a sad Christmas. In black and yellow silence.