Borussia Dortmund to hold Tuchel talks over future

Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund will hold showdown talks with coach Thomas Tuchel at the end of the season, amid reports that Nice manager Lucien Favre will take over.

Chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke denied Tuchel’s fate was already sealed but relations between the pair have become publicly strained since the bomb attack on the Dortmund team bus on April 11.

Tuchel says that neither he nor his shell-shocked players were consulted about whether they should play the Champions League quarter-final home tie against Monaco less than 24 hours after three bombs targeted the bus.

Watzke denied that was the case and said the claim had annoyed him.

“We will sit down after the season and discuss how things will continue. If we already had another head coach lined up, why would we still do that?” asked Watzke, addressing Tuchel’s future.

“We’re not having these discussions now and I don’t want to say anymore about it.”

Tuchel has a year left on his contract but German media has linked Swiss coach Favre to the job after his impressive season with Nice.

Dortmund and Tuchel will sit down once they finish their season after the German Cup final on May 27 against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Third-placed Dortmund host Werder Bremen on Saturday in their final German league match of the season needing a win to be guaranteed a direct Champions League place.