Jurgen Klopp, Borussia Dortmund Part Company: Latest Details and Reaction
Jurgen Klopp will leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season.
The charismatic manager confirmed the decision in a specially held press conference on Wednesday, according to the Bundesliga's Twitter feed:
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Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke offered his thoughts, via Eurosport:
Klopp responded by suggesting BVB gave as much to him as he gave to them, Eurosport tweeted:
Interestingly, Klopp confirmed he could be set to find another job straightaway, according to Eurosport:
Klopp's journey at the Westfalenstadion has been an eventful one. He joined the club in 2008, leading Dortmund to back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012 and also capturing the DFB-Pokal cup in 2013 and 2014.
Many will mark the club's run to the 2013 Champions League final—which they lost 2-1 to German rivals Bayern Munich—as his greatest feat.
Bayern have long played the role of spectre for Dortmund's chances of silverware success. The Bavarian side snapped up Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski—two key stars for Klopp—beginning an era of domestic dominance. Such transfers were a symbol of BVB's struggle against the inevitable fall.
Miguel Delaney of ESPN FC predicts a similar situation will eventually force Diego Simeone out of his Atletico Madrid post:
However, few would have anticipated Dortmund's 2014-15 campaign to be quite so terrible. Bottom in February, the side currently sit in 10th place after a better turn of form. Saturday's loss to Borussia Monchengladbach was their 13th of the domestic season, though, making it impossible for the club to reach next season's Champions League.
Early reports suggest former Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel will replace Klopp (who also arrived from the Coface Arena). Ed Malyon of the Mirror tweeted that this would be too perfect:
Football writer Archie Rhind-Tutt believes Tuchel's arrival would make sense:
Mats Hummels, another Dortmund player linked to a potential departure, weighed in on the news of Klopp's impending exit, via Bleacher Report UK:
Alex Shaw of ESPN FC hinted Klopp's exit could see Hummels—who is often linked with a mega-money transfer away—follow suit:
As for Klopp's future, Jamie Jackson of The Guardian reported that Manchester City do not consider Klopp a replacement for current boss Manuel Pellegrini, who has come under pressure after a run of poor results.
Earlier, Ben Jefferson of the Express reported that he believed Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City were on "red alert" now that Klopp is free to be snapped up.
At their very best, Klopp's Dortmund grabbed the attention of many with fast-paced, attacking football. His teams recycle the ball and are keen to play from the back, with creative midfielders aiming to get the ball forward quickly when possession enters the opposition's half.
His decision to leave Dortmund could be best for all involved, as both his and the club's progress have stagnated.
Supporters will look back on Klopp's era as one of tremendous success and, indeed, a moment in which Bayern's inevitable success was upset. This is perhaps the current measuring stick of any Bundesliga tenure away from the Allianz Arena.
