Tullberg likens Dortmund stint to three finals
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 to Niko Kovac.
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 Sunday (AEDT).
The Black and Yellow had lost four games in a row before Sahin's dismissal, but under Tullberg, it drew 2-2 with Werder Bremen in the league before clinching a UEFA Champions League play-off place with a 3-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk last week.
"I stayed the person I was before. Football is football and people are people," Tullberg said. "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 has won just one of its past eight league games to drop to 11th place in the Bundesliga and put next season's UEFA Champions League participation at risk.
On Friday (AEDT) it appointed Kovac, who will take over after the Heidenheim game.
The 53-year-old, who previously coached Dortmund's rival Bayern Munich and led it to the league and cup double in 2018-2019, has 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 has already dropped 11 points from winning positions in the Bundesliga this season – only Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen have squandered more (13 each).
Opponent Heidenheim has only claimed one point from the 14 games in which it has trailed in 2024-2025 – only St. Pauli has collected fewer (0).
Dortmund has never lost to Heidenheim in three previous meetings. After two draws last season, it won 4-2 in the reverse fixture at Signal Iduna Park this season.
