Tuchel: Burki's my Bundesliga choice
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| AFP |
Thomas Tuchel has made his mark as Borussia Dortmund's new coach by dropping Germany goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller for Swiss stopper Roman Burki for their opening German Bundesliga clash against Borussia Moenchengladbach.
After Jurgen Klopp's resignation last season following seven successful years as Dortmund coach - which yielded two Bundesliga titles, the 2012 German Cup and two domestic Super Cups - ex-Mainz boss Tuchel takes charge of his first league match on Saturday.
Dropping Weidenfeller, a non-playing member of Germany's 2014 World Cup squad, is a big statement with the 34-year-old a firm fans' favourite and ten years older than Burki, who was snapped up from relegated Freiburg. "Roman Burki will play in goal against Moenchengladbach," confirmed 41-year-old Tuchel.
But Tuchel suggested that Weidenfeller would be offered game time in cup competitions. "The decision has only been taken for the Bundesliga. And given how Roman Weidenfeller has presented himself in attitude and performance during the pre-season, I would like him to also play in competitive matches," insisted Tuchel.
Weidenfeller will be used when Dortmund play against Norwegian side Odds BK in a two-legged play-off for a UEFA Europa League place later this month. Having finished seventh in the league last season and subsequently missing out on a Champions League place, Dortmund are eager to rediscover their form from two years ago when they reached the Champions League final and finished as runners-up to Bayern in the league.
They open their 2015/16 campaign in front of a sold-out Signal Iduna Park, with the match a poignant one for Dortmund winger Marco Reus who will face his former club. "I think it's a great way to start," he told German football magazine Kicker having signed for Dortmund in 2012 from 'Gladbach, who finished third last season. "Not only because it's against my former club, but because against Moenchengladbach we can immediately show what level we are at."
Under Tuchel, who's renowned for altering formations during matches, Dortmund have won ten of their 11 pre-season matches, as they move forward into the post-Klopp era. Gladbach, who will compete in the UEFA Champions League group stages this season for the first time since reaching the semi-finals of the European Cup in 1977/78, are expected to go well again this season after last year's third-placed finish.