Dortmund chief Watzke Admits Regret Over Tuchel Firing,Says No Replacement Matched His Success
Dortmund,Germany – Borussia Dortmund’s long-time CEO Hans Joachim Watzke has publicly stated he regrets the 2017 dismissal of then-head coach Thomas Tuchel,acknowledging that no subsequent manager has achieved the same level of success. the admission comes years after a fractured relationship stemming from disagreements over the handling of a bomb attack on the BVB team bus and the rescheduling of a Champions League quarterfinal match.
Watzke, 66, told “Sport Bild” that the fallout from the incident and subsequent conflict led to a situation he now wishes had been handled differently. “We had broken ourselves down so much as of this issue that it probably wouldn’t have been really good on a human level,” Watzke said. “Looking back, I don’t think it would have gotten this far without the attack. And in retrospect, I have to say: I probably wouldn’t have fired Thomas Tuchel today.” The revelation arrives as Dortmund navigates another managerial change, recently appointing Edin Terzić following a period of instability.
The dismissal occurred following the rescheduling of the Champions League quarterfinal against AS Monaco after the BVB team bus was attacked, injuring then-player Marc Bartra. Tuchel vocally criticized the decision to play the rescheduled match so soon after the incident, a point of contention that proved irreparable with club management. Dortmund lost both legs of the tie (2-3, 1-3) and finished the season in third place, despite winning the DFB-Pokal.
Tuchel’s record at Dortmund demonstrates a points-per-game average of 2.12 – the highest of any BVB coach in the club’s history.His subsequent success at Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea (where he won the 2021 Champions League), and bayern Munich further underscores the perceived misstep. Since Tuchel’s departure, Dortmund has cycled through seven different head coaches, without utilizing any interim appointments. Currently managing the england national team, Tuchel is slated to lead them into the 2026 World Cup, aiming to end a 60-year title drought.
