Borussia Dortmund have parted ways with manager Thomas Tuchel, it was confirmed on Tuesday.
The coach announced his departure from the Westfalenstadion on Twitter (h/t Ed Malyon of The Independent), ending a two-year stint at the helm with BVB. Sky Germany (h/t Sky Sports News HQ) had earlier reported Tuchel had left.
In his debut term Tuchel was able to enliven a Dortmund side that had grown stale under the guidance of former manager Jurgen Klopp, as they totted up 78 points to finish in second place behind Bayern Munich—the highest points haul in the Bundesliga for a runner-up.
The second season also had its highs, with Tuchel leading Dortmund to the DFB-Pokal, which was the club's first piece of silverware for five years. BVB finished the season in third place behind Bayern and Bundesliga newboys RB Leipzig.
As noted by Squawka Football, a trophy had been a long time coming for this talented side:
However, according to Stephan Uersfeld of ESPN FC, Tuchel has not been happy behind the scenes.
It's suggested the 43-year-old was disappointed that the club decided to sell Mats Hummels, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Ilkay Gundogan in the summer.
Tuchel was also reportedly concerned by the club's inability to deliver players he wanted, prompting talks over a possible new contract in December to be delayed. Subsequently, it's suggested there was a breakdown in relationship between the coach and Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke, with both men making their feelings clear in public at times.
"Tuchel has burnt too many bridges at the club, where leadership, players and employees have turned against him," Uersfeld added.
Indeed, Bleacher Report's Lars Pollman doesn't think the coach has many allies in the dressing room, especially among experienced players:
The next man in the position will have a talented squad to work with. Although there's speculation aplenty surrounding his future, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang finished the 2016-17 Bundesliga season as the top scorer, while Ousmane Dembele is among the most exciting prospects in the division.
OGC Nice boss Lucien Favre, formerly of German side Borussia Monchengladbach, has been linked with the Dortmund job lately. The Ligue 1 side's sporting director, Julien Fournier, has insisted he is going nowhere, though, per Sport 1 (h/t Uersfeld).
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