Dortmund stint like three finals, says interim coach Tullberg

Borussia Dortmund interim head coach Mike Tullberg likened his three matches in charge of the first team to finals as he prepares to hand the reins over.

Tullberg took over last week on an interim basis after the sacking of Nuri Sahin and will return to the Under-19 team after Dortmund’s Bundesliga match against Heidenheim on Saturday.

The Black and Yellow had lost four games in a row before Sahin’s dismissal, but under Tullberg, they drew 2-2 with Werder Bremen in the league before clinching a Champions League play-off place with a 3-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.

Tullberg is the first Dortmund coach since Thomas Doll in 2007 (draw against Nurnberg) to fail to win his first Bundesliga game in charge. Doll is also the only coach over the last 24 years to be winless after his first two league matches at the helm.

“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 Niko Kovac, who will take over after the Heidenheim game.

Welcome, Niko!

Borussia Dortmund has appointed Niko Kovač as their new head coach. The 53-year-old, born in Berlin, has signed a contract with BVB until June 30, 2026, and will officially take charge next Sunday after the club’s Bundesliga match against Heidenheim. pic.twitter.com/O6hPBoCxn2

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) January 30, 2025

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.”

Dortmund have already dropped 11 points from winning positions in the Bundesliga this season – only Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen have squandered more (13 each). Opponents Heidenheim have only claimed one point from the 14 games in which they have trailed in 2024-25 – only St. Pauli have collected fewer (0).

Dortmund have never lost to Heidenheim in three previous meetings though; after two draws last season, they won 4-2 in the reverse fixture at Signal Iduna Park this season.