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May 28, 2020

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Dortmund boss stands by Favre

Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre received the backing of club CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke yesterday, a day after its Bundesliga title hopes were all but dashed with a 0-1 home loss to leader Bayern Munich.

The result left Dortmund seven points behind in second place with six games remaining in the season that restarted 10 days ago following a two-month break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the Ruhr valley club already eliminated in the German Cup and the UEFA Champions League, Swiss coach Favre, who has one more year on his contract, will go for a second season without winning any major domestic or European silverware.

“At the moment there is no reason for a coach discussion,” club Watzke told the Funke media group.

“We are playing a very, very good second half to the season. Until Tuesday, we had got 27 of a maximum 30 points (by winning nine of the previous 10 matches).”

Dortmund went into the game on a six-game winning run but will now most likely have to settle for just a UCL spot unless Bayern slips up three times in the remaining six games.

“I think Lucien has been very focused in the past weeks,” Watzke said. “He does not leave the impression of a man under pressure.”

Favre had said after Tuesday’s defeat he would be speaking about the situation in Dortmund in a few weeks, with some media interpreting it as a hint at a potential departure ahead of his 2021 contract end.

“I don’t think about giving up. What I had wanted to say is it is not the time now to take stock,” Favre told WAZ newspaper yesterday.

“We still have six games to play and we want to give it our best.”

Favre’s attitude was very different to his crestfallen demeanor immediately after Tuesday’s defeat, thanks to Joshua Kimmich’s deft chip just before half-time.

The defeat came on the back of a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Bayern last November at Munich’s Allianz Arena.

On Tuesday night, Favre gave a resigned grin when asked if the latest defeat proved he does not have what it takes for Dortmund to break Bayern’s monopoly on the German league.

“That’s been said here for months,” Favre had said.

“I know how these things go and I will talk about it in a few weeks. I’m staying calm and I trust in myself.”

According to German daily Bild yesterday, Dortmund’s bosses made contact “in the past few months” with Niko Kovac, who was sacked by Bayern in November, as a possible successor to Favre.

After Favre hinted that he may leave, Germany legend and Sky pundit Lothar Matthaeus commented “as soon as I heard that, I thought ‘Favre will leave and Kovac will come’.”

Bild also claims that RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann is Dortmund’s ideal candidate, but the 32-year-old is under contract until 2023.

Favre has all but waved the white flag on bridging the gap in the table, even though Bayern must still face Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen, which have already both beaten the Bavarians this season. “It’s going to be difficult — seven points (to make up) in six games, that is brutally hard,” Favre said after the game.

The 62-year-old Swiss fell offside with Dortmund fans last season when he conceded the 2018/19 title race was “over” after a 4-2 home defeat by Schalke left Dortmund three points behind Bayern with three games left.




 

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