Borussia Dortmund’s CEO, Hans-Joachim Watzke, admits that firing Thomas Tuchel as coach in 2017 was a mistake.
Borussia Dortmund’s CEO, Hans-Joachim Watzke, has publicly stated that he regrets the decision to sack Thomas Tuchel as the club’s coach in 2017. Tuchel was dismissed just days after winning the DFB-Pokal, with the bomb attack on the team’s bus before the Champions League match against AS Monaco being a major factor in the decision.
Watzke admitted that the controversy surrounding the rescheduled match played a significant role in their falling out. “Looking back, I don’t think it would have come to this without the attack,” Watzke said in an interview.
The decision to part ways with Tuchel was not taken lightly, but Watzke believes it was necessary at the time. “We had torn ourselves apart to such an extent that, on a human level, it probably wouldn’t have worked out anymore,” he explained.
Watzke emphasised that the public reports of the internal discussions were not accurate. “Every player was absolutely free not to play the next day without any consequences,” he clarified.
Despite the tumultuous past, Watzke and Tuchel have since reconciled. “Today, I get along well with Thomas again. We’ve talked it through. And I have to say: he is an outstanding coach,” Watzke praised.
The two had a meeting after the season to discuss their future, but it was clear that things wouldn’t continue as before. “There was no real dialogue. After 20 minutes, it was clear: it could not continue,” Watzke revealed.
