Dortmund: Mourinho in line to replace under-fire Favre
According to reports in Germany, the Portuguese could be parachuted in if a tough run of fixtures doesn't go the way of incumbent Lucien Favre.
José Mourinho has emerged as the front-runner to replace Lucien Favre at Borussia Dortmund if the Bundesliga side’s board decide to pull the plug on the Swiss coach.
According to Sport Bild, Dortmund’s hierarchy are not feeling very comfortable with Favre’s management this season despite the club sitting fourth in the Bundesliga, a point off leaders Mönchengladbach and level with Bayern Munich. A run of one win in five games was halted when Favre masterminded a 1-0 victory over Mönchengladbach at the weekend, easing some of the pressure on the coach, while in Europe a draw against Barcelona and a win at Slavia Prague has been enough to lift Dortmund to top of a very tricky Group F.
However, Favre faces an exacting few weeks that will apparently decide his fate: Dortmund play Inter twice in the Champions League while also facing Mönchengladbach again in the second round of the DFB Pokal, and in the Bundesliga play Schalke, Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich in consecutive games.
Mourinho's ties with Dortmund chief Watzke
Mourinho, who has been linked with a possible return to Real Madrid, is a long-term confidant of Dortmund chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke, the two often speaking on the phone and the Portuguese attending a game a couple of seasons ago as a personal guest of the executive.
“I admire the work of the club and their ability to compete against a giant of the game like Bayern Munich,” Mourinho said in an interview with the same media outlet.
Favre led Dortmund to second in the Bundesliga last campaign, taking Bayern Munich all the way to the wire, but went out of the domestic cup and the Champions League at the last-16 stage. Another title tile was expected this year and although the season is still in its infancy, those three games against the sides currently seventh, second and third in the table are seen as crucial to sustaining another attempt to dethrone Bayern.