Interim coach rallies devastated Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund interim coach Mike Tullberg has urged his players "to give it all" when they face Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Sunday (AEDT).
A four-game losing run across all competitions saw the club part ways with manager Nuri Sahin in midweek, a day after a 2-1 defeat at Bologna in the UEFA Champions League.
The result left Dortmund in 14th place in the UEFA Champions League table with 12 points from seven matches.
Dortmund has only lost four consecutive games once in the past 30 years – between March and April 2000 when it lost six in a row – forcing the club to take the decision.
It will now hope to get its first win of 2025 when it welcomes Bremen with its former youth team coach Tullberg in temporary charge.
"The players have not forgotten how to play football," Tullberg said ahead of the match.
"My job is to give them courage and the team to give it all on Saturday. To play with passion and enjoy playing football."
Dortmund is on 25 points after 18 games and sits 10th in the league table heading into the match. It is its lowest tally at this point of a Bundesliga season since 2014-2015.
It is at risk of missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification, having only registered one win in its past seven league games.
"What came before me matters little," Tullberg said about Dortmund's recent form.
"Now it is all about the next two or three days. That is my job. To coach the team until Saturday [Sunday AEDT]," Tullberg said.
"I am not here to present myself because I am now an interim coach at Borussia Dortmund.
"I am here to help the players, help the club. Now it is about going out to win the game."
Bremen will provide a formidable challenge having picked up 16 points from its nine away games this season. Only Bayer Leverkusen (18) and Bayern (Munich 20) have collected more points on the road.
