Watzke says tough talks preceded Klopp signing, cites Tuchel for DFB

In the studio of 'Meine Geschichte bei Sky', Borussia Dortmund president Hans‑Joachim Watzke Gab that there were 'harte Worte' – hard words – exchanged before the club secured Jürgen Klopp, the 59‑year‑old then Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer, in what became Klopps Verpflichtung, and added that he had even thought of Thomas Tuchel for the German Football Association.

Klopp's path to Dortmund

Watzke explained that Red Bull felt very comfortable with Klopp, noting that Oliver Mintzlaff also had a strong interest in the German game. He said the daily conversations grew better, but the first meetings were marked by 'harte Worte'. Klopps Verpflichtung was therefore a hard‑won achievement, and the 59‑year‑old arrives with a record of 1 078 games, 595 wins, 239 draws and 244 losses.

According to Watzke, Klopp was the clear solution to replace Julian Nagelsmann as national team manager. He added, 'There was only this one idea, to bring Jürgen, but you first had to convince the board.' The former Dortmund coach thus became the focal point of the DFB succession debate.

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Tuchel as a fallback for the DFB

Nach Germany’s early exit in Qatar, he had already considered Thomas Tuchel as an alternative for the DFB. Tuchel, who took over Dortmund in 2015, guided the club to a cup triumph in 2017 and posted the best points‑per‑game average of 2.12 for a Dortmund Bundesliga manager. He left after two seasons amid atmospheric disturbances, but the memory resurfaced after the 2022‑23 World Cup disappointment.

Since early 2025, Tuchel has been England’s head coach, steering the Three Lions to a third‑place finish at the World Cup. His England record stands at 22 matches, 17 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses, yet he remains under constant scrutiny from fans and pundits. Watzke stressed that the DFB had not formally approached Tuchel, but his name naturally reappeared when Klopp was unavailable.

The candid remarks were posted on the News Transfers & Gerüchte portal, under the Bundesliga forum’s Transfers and Analyse sections, alongside Community, Gaming, Support, Premium Service and Video streams, with the Neueste and Alle news updates. Watzke Gab that the episode shows how the aftermath of Qatar continues to shape German football’s leadership choices. It underlines the intertwined ambitions of club and country as they search for stability.