Reflections on Tuchel’s Tenure at Dortmund and Its Aftermath

Thomas Tuchel, appointed head coach of Borussia Dortmund in 2015, was dismissed shortly after winning the DFB-Pokal. Initially, the separation was attributed to internal tensions and frustrations regarding the club’s inability to effectively compete against Bayern Munich. However, Hans-Joachim Watzke, the club’s director, has shed light on a more profound turning point that occurred much earlier.

Watzke indicated that the bombing of the Dortmund team bus in April 2017 significantly strained their relationship. This incident happened before a Champions League match against Monaco, which was rescheduled to take place less than 24 hours later. Tuchel publicly criticized the decision to proceed with the game so soon after such a traumatic event, asserting that the players required time to process the psychological impact.

According to Watzke, Tuchel’s public comments did not align with the internal agreement made within the club. He noted that players were given the option to abstain from playing the following day without facing any repercussions. Watzke expressed his reluctance to revisit the matter in detail, emphasizing, “I don’t want to go into the details for the hundredth time. What’s important to me, however, is that what was reported publicly didn’t correspond to what we had discussed internally.”

He further elaborated that discussions were held at the end of the season regarding their future collaboration, but by then, their relationship had already deteriorated. “No one tried to find common ground. There was no real dialogue at all. After 20 minutes, it was clear: it couldn’t continue,” Watzke explained.

The director acknowledged that tensions intensified following the bus attack, creating a chasm that was difficult to bridge. He speculated that had emotions not been so heightened at that time, the situation could have developed differently: “Looking back, I don’t think things would have come to this without the attack. In retrospect, I have to say: I probably wouldn’t have dismissed Thomas Tuchel today. But back then, we had torn each other apart so much because of this issue that things probably wouldn’t have turned out well on a human level.”

Despite these past tensions, Watzke reported a positive relationship with Tuchel today. “Today I get along well with Thomas again. We talked things out, and I have to say: He is an outstanding coach.”

Tuchel departed Dortmund in 2017 and subsequently managed Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich before taking the helm of the England national team in 2024. He has made a promising start, following a tumultuous end to Gareth Southgate’s tenure. The Three Lions concluded their World Cup qualifying campaign unbeaten and without conceding a goal, culminating in a 2-0 victory over Albania. This successful run has fostered optimism in Tuchel’s vision as he readies for his first major tournament with the English squad.