Borussia Dortmund have signed their replacement for fired head coach Thomas Tuchel. The Black and Yellows announced on Tuesday they have appointed former Ajax Amsterdam head coach Peter Bosz on a 2-year contract until 2019.
Bosz had become the favourite after OGC Nice blocked Dortmund’s approach for Lucien Favre last week. Fifty-three years of age, the former Dutch international has also previously coached Vitesse and Maccabi Tel-Aviv, among other jobs.
His last season really put the former Hansa Rostock midfielder on the map, as Ajax advanced to the UEFA Europa League final despite playing with the youngest team in the competition. Often, players in their mid-twenties would be the oldest Ajax players on the field.
While Amsterdam did not win the cup against Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United, just getting there was a massive accomplishment. Not only was it the club’s first European final in 21 years, the team also won the hearts of many fans. Ajax eliminated FC Schalke 04 and Olympique Lyonnais, among others.
Bosz is considered a follower of Johan Cruyff’s footballing ideas and counts Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola as an inspiration. A fervent advocate of attacking football, Bosz’s teams aim to dominate in all phases of the game.
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In addition, he preaches quick transitions, which often makes for spectacular games. His entire team presses high up the pitch, which can leave the defence a bit short-handed. In the UEL final against United, Bosz failed to react to Mourinho’s fairly simplistic approach.
It remains to be seen how the 53-year-old will react to having a stronger, more experienced squad at his disposal. Importantly, Bosz speaks flawless German and English. Having spent three years at Toulon during his playing days, it would not be surprising if he also spoke some French.
Seeing as he was under contract at Ajax, Dortmund had to pay a fee to sign Bosz. Reports from Germany and the Netherlands put that fee in the region of up to €5 million.
