In the past hour, Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund have announced that Thomas Tuchel will succeed Jurgen Klopp as their new manager, starting in the summer. This comes just a few days after Klopp surprisingly announced he felt he was no longer the right man for the job and had agreed an early termination of his contract, which was set to expire in 2018.
Tuchel has agreed to sign a three-year contract with Dortmund as the club's new coach at the end of the season, succeeding the 47-year-old at the helm. Klopp is leaving the 2013 UEFA Champions League runners-up after seven years in charge; where he won two Bundesliga titles and a DFB-Pokal trophy as well as finishing runners-up in the prestigious competition, to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich at Wembley.
Who is Tuchel?
The 41-year-old manager has been in charge of 1. FSV Mainz 05 since 2009, and has been the subject of a few managerial offers from the likes of Schalke 04 and Bayer Leverkusen after leading the club into a UEFA Europa League qualification spot last season. As a footballer previously, he played as a centre-back for Augsburg (youth career), before joining Stuttgarter Kickers (1992-1994) as well as SSV Ulm where he ended up eventually retiring in 1998 due to a chronic cartilage injury.
Following the club's disappointing league campaign this season, Tuchel will be expected to propel the side back into the UEFA Champions League, which they mathematically cannot qualify for anymore. They still have an outside chance of Europa League qualification, as well as silverware in the form of the DFB-Pokal; something Tuchel will be hoping to juggle as well as consistency throughout.