Dortmund goals within reach as Tuchel concedes his time may be up

Thomas Tuchel believes Borussia Dortmund can “achieve all our goals” in the last two games of the season, while conceding his time at the club could be coming to an end.

Dortmund host Werder Bremen on Saturday as they seek to keep hold of third spot in the Bundesliga, which would ensure automatic qualification for next season’s Champions League group stage.

The following weekend will see Tuchel’s side take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the final of the DFB-Pokal as they seek to banish the disappointment of three consecutive defeats in the showpiece.

Head coach Tuchel is relishing the prospect of such a high-stakes double-header and wants his side – who lead fourth-placed Hoffenheim on goal difference following a 1-1 draw with Augsburg last time out – to seize the moment.

“We have two finals in a week, we’re really looking forward to it,” said the 43-year-old, whose future has been the subject of continued speculation. “I’m excited. We can achieve all our goals within two games.

“The stadium atmosphere will be special, the atmosphere in the locker room will be special.

 

 Unser Block in Augsburg! #fcabvb #bundesliga #bvb #dortmund #borussiadortmund #fca #fcaugsburg #augsburg #wwkarena #auswärtsspiel #awaygame #spieltag #matchday #feiertag # # #fans #support #gelbewand #gästeblock #awayend #awayfans

A post shared by Borussia Dortmund (@bvb09) on May 13, 2017 at 8:08am PDT

“It’s important that we make sure that we put [third place] out of reach for Hoffenheim. We don’t want to be distracted by other results.

“We want to play courageously, we want to play attacking football, but we cannot talk about a blow-out result. First we have to beat Werder, who are a strong opponent. We have to do our homework.”

Questioned on whether the visit of Werder would be his last game in charge at Signal Iduna Park, Tuchel said: “For a coach, you always have to know that the next game could be your last.”

Tuchel provided a fitness update on his squad, with Nuri Sahin (ankle) in line for a return, while Lukasz Piszczek (abductor muscle) and Andre Schurrle (Achilles) are doubtful.

Rumours regarding the security of Tuchel’s job intensified this month when Dortmund chief executive officer Hans-Joachim Watzke confirmed the pair fell out over the rescheduling of the Champions League tie with Monaco 24 hours after the club’s team bus was the target of a bomb attack.

Watzke also stated that the club’s final league position would have a bearing on Tuchel’s future.