'Brilliant': Dortmund boss Terzic heaps praise on Sancho

Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic praised the "brilliant" Jadon Sancho after the England winger impressed again in Saturday's 2-0 Champions League final loss to Real Madrid.

Returning to England for the first time since rejoining Dortmund on loan in January after a miserable time at Manchester United, Sancho was a major factor as the Germans threatened to take the lead before going down to two second-half goals at Wembley.

"The last six months Jadon has been brilliant for us. Of course it took time to get back into shape, but you could see that there is quality and his skills were going to improve our game straight away," Terzic said.

"He didn't improve only his game, but he improved that of the players around him."

In his first four years at the Westfalenstadion, Sancho scored 50 goals and laid on 64 more in 137 games. He won the 2021 German Cup shortly before joining United for a fee of 85 million euros ($93 million).

But, at Old Trafford, he scored just 12 times in 82 appearances and fell out with manager Erik ten Hag, who banished him to training with the reserve team.

Dortmund offered Sancho a lifeline, and he returned to Germany in January having not played first-team soccer since September.

Sancho's six-month loan officially ended after Saturday's game, and, while Dortmund has said publicly it would like to keep the player, the 24-year-old's future is uncertain.

Terzic dodged questions about where London-raised Sancho would play next season, but predicted a bright future for a player who has returned to form and rehabilitated his reputation at Dortmund.

"I didn't speak about the future because we're taking about the present. We played a Champions League final in his home town and I'm really happy he's with us.

"You can feel the joy he receives in the dressing room and that he brings into the dressing room.

"I'm very happy to work with Jadon. We don't know yet what the future will bring, but for sure it'll bring him another Champions League final."

AFP