BERLIN (Reuters) – Borussia Dortmund interim coach Mike Tullberg will happily return to the Under-19 team after their league game against Heidenheim on Saturday, ending what he on Friday called three finals for him.
Dortmund youth coach Tullberg took over last week on an interim basis after the sacking of Nuri Sahin and following a four-game losing run in all competitions.
He was in charge for last week’s 2-2 draw against Werder Bremen, snapping their losing run, as well as their midweek 3-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk that secured a Champions League playoff spot.
“I stayed the person I was before. Football is football and people are people,” Tullberg told a press conference. “I tried to approach it as three finals for me. The last one is tomorrow. Then I will happily return to the under-19. It was never about me. It was always about the club.”
Dortmund have won just one of their last eight league games to drop to 11th place in the Bundesliga and put next season’s Champions League participation at risk.
On Thursday they appointed Croatian Niko Kovac, who will take over after the Heidenheim game.
The 53-year-old Kovac, who previously coached Dortmund’s rivals Bayern Munich and led them to the league and cup double in 2018-19, signed a contract until June 2026.
“It was fun, the players accepted me,” Tullberg said.
“We run more, we sprint more. I saw a development in these matches. But after tomorrow I will be back with the youth team… and I will support Niko as best I can.”
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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