Schmidt: "Menden residents queue when Terzic is in town"

Menden's mayor praises Terzic's humility and strong ties to his hometown, noting residents queue to see him when he visits.

Edin Terzic, now Athletic Club manager, remains a celebrated figure in his native German town of Menden (population 52,000), where he began his football career at local club BSV Menden. Mayor Manuela Schmidt spoke of the enormous pride residents feel in Terzic's rise to become one of Europe's most prominent coaches, describing how people line up when he visits. Despite his elite international role, Terzic has maintained close contact with his hometown and was honoured with a signature in Menden's Golden Book in 2023.

Schmidt highlighted Terzic's defining qualities as humility, approachability and strong team spirit—traits she believes will serve him well at Athletic, a club with a distinctive identity rooted in Basque tradition. She noted that Menden residents, many of whom are Borussia Dortmund supporters given the club's proximity, followed his rise to Dortmund's head coach with pride, particularly his path to the 2024 Champions League final at Wembley. Now at Athletic, Terzic continues to be closely followed by his hometown, which views him as a citizen of Menden regardless of where his career takes him.