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The former Mainz boss is delighted to have landed the Dortmund job and is keen to forge his own identity at Signal Iduna Park
Thomas Tuchel says he wants to build upon the foundations laid by Jurgen Klopp's during his spell at Borussia Dortmund and take the team back to the top of the Bundesliga.
The 47-year-old stood aside following a successful seven-year stint at the Westfalenstadion and was replaced by his fellow former Mainz boss
Tuchel has praised the coach who led BVB to two Bundesliga titles and a Champions League final and feels that all the ingredients for a memorable period in the club's history are in place.
"Jurgen Klopp had seven unbelievably successful seasons here. We will now try to create a new chapter at a high level," he said at his unveiling.
"Klopp created a great foundation. We must build on that. I have a great desire to build and create my own image here.
"I'm overjoyed to be officially presented as Dortmund coach. I wanted to coach a top, traditional Bundesliga club.
"Dortmund are at the forefront of the German game but we have some ground to make up on the other teams and that is a challenge.
"It's extremely important that we rise to the challenge of making up that ground. It's about hard work, courage and tenacity. The top four need to constantly feel our presence
"I want an atmosphere that is characterised by hard work, dedication and free of egoism. I know I can rely on and trust this club. That was an important factor in why I came here.
"There is a style of football here which is based on attacking and dominating play. I'm looking forward to seeing that."
German Cup winners Wolfsburg have insisted coveted winger Kevin de Bruyne is going nowhere this summer.
2 June 2015 11:40 PA Sport
Wolfsburg have no wish to cash in on Kevin de Bruyne
The Belgian was inspirational in the Wolves' 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the German cup final on Saturday, having broken a league record for the number of assists - 21 - this term.
In addition, he scored 10 league goals to help Wolfsburg finish second behind Bayern Munich and the attention the former Chelsea man is attracting is only natural.
However, Wolfsburg's chairman Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz has warned Europe's top clubs that they can look, but not touch the 23-year-old, or any of his successful side for that matter.
"We want to confirm our success this season in the future and, for that, we are keeping this team together," he told Sport Bild magazine.
De Bruyne and Wolfsburg can look forward to Champions League football next season, leaving the playmaker little reason to want out of his contract four years early.
"Maybe I'm playing the best football of my career right now," De Bruyne said. "I had some good years in Belgium and with Bremen, but now I'm playing at a top club in one of the best leagues in the world and it all has an even greater meaning."
Bayern have been linked with a €60 million (£43m) bid for De Bruyne, who also has reported admirers in the Premier League despite being unable to make the grade under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea.
The capture of Switzerland international Fabian Schar from Basel shows Hoffenheim are heading in the right direction, according to the Bundesliga club's sporting director Alexander Rosen.
Schar has signed a four-year contract with Hoffenheim after an undisclosed fee was agreed with Basel.
Rosen told Hoffenheim's official website: "For him to sign for Hoffenheim is certainly confirmation of the great work we are doing here.
"We have taken another step forward in our squad planning with the signing of Fabian Schar.
"Schar's build-up play is very good and he is someone who has already been able to gain international experience at a young age, yet still has plenty of potential."
Schar added: "There is a young, ambitious team here and a perfect infrastructure."
Hoffenheim, who recently agreed a fresh two-year deal with midfielder Kevin Volland, finished eighth in the Bundesliga this season.
'He has great potential' - Dortmund sign 19-year-old Weigl
By Peter Thompson
Jun 8, 2015 17:45:31
The promising midfielder, who was the subject of interest from Juventus and Tottenham, joined on a four-year deal from 1860 Munich
Borussia Dortmund have completed the signing of highly rated teenage midfielder Julian Weigl from 2. Bundesliga side 1860 Munich for an undisclosed fee.
The 19-year-old, who had been linked with Juventus and Tottenham, arrives at Signal Iduna Park on a four-year contract.
"Julian Weigl is a prospective player for the Borussia Dortmund central midfield," sporting director Michael Zorc said. "We believe he has great development potential."
Germany Under-20 international Weigl, who played in 24 league games for 1860 in 2014-15, is the second Dortmund signing in a new era under Thomas Tuchel, with Gonzalo Castro also arriving from Bayer Leverkusen.
Weigl is currently representing his country in the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.
Despite bowing out of the Champions League and DFB-Pokal, the winger disagrees that the Bavarians fell short of their season targets
Arjen Robben has rubbished the suggestion that Bayern Munich's season was a failure because they only won the Bundesliga title.
The Bavarians had been considered one of the top candidates to secure a treble last term, but injury issues scuppered their season as they crashed out of the semi-finals of the Champions League and DFB-Pokal to Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, respectively.
Nevertheless, Robben asserts the club had been the victims of unrealistic expectation and argued that some perspective should be applied to evaluations of their 2014-15 campaign.
"I laugh when I hear all those things [about failure]," the 31-year-old addressed Kicker. "There is no reason to be ashamed of this season. On the contrary, I think the evaluation is too radical.
"If you win, everything is great; if you lose, everything is bad. That's not fair. We had a season after a World Cup. Look at the lines people wrote ahead of the season. Everyone agreed that it will be the hardest season for us since years.
"And then? We won the league with a ten-point lead. That's a great effort. It mustn't happen that everything, the coach or the players, are called into question after such a season. That's totally unfounded."
The Netherlands international then refuted claims he had become a liability after missing big matches in 2015 due to injury, and backed a fit-again Bayern squad for silverware next term.
"Such specualtion is nonsense. I was in really good shape over most of the season] and just as excited about playing the games against Leverkusen, Dortmund, Porto or Barcelona," Robben insisted.
"I am still fit and feel like I am able to play at this level for a few more years.
"I have a lot of trust in our squad. Look at our team - Javi Martinez will be fit again, Thiago [Alcantara] is able to take part in the whole pre-season, Franck Ribery and I are coming back, David Alaba will be fit.
"It is just important that we can practice together as a whole from the beginning next season. I am really looking forward to it."
Guardiola must spend for Bayern to be like Barcelona, says Hamann
By SW Lim
Jun 8, 2015 10:56:02
The ex-Germany international remains skeptical of the Catalan's ability but thinks a squad renewal can make up for their shortcomings
Former Bayern Munich midfielder Dietmar Hamann believes that the only way for his old club to replicate Barcelona's treble success is for Pep Guardiola to spend heavily on new signings.
Barca swept to the Primera Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League titles last term, dumping Bayern out of Europe along the way and impressing current pundit Hamann, who attributed the Catalans' success to the money they spent last summer.
"With Neymar, [Luis] Suarez and [Ivan] Rakitic, Barcelona strengthened optimally," the ex-Germany international told TZ on Sunday. "The problem at Bayern is that old age is creeping up on critical players such as [Franck] Ribery and [Arjen] Robben.
"[Bastian] Schweinsteiger and [Xabi] Alonso are not getting any younger either. Much of the team is not that old, but the greatest need remains in Bayern's wide positions, where only a handful of the world's top players, like [Chelsea's Eden] Hazard, Neymar and Messi play.
"I agree with [Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz] Rummenigge that changing the whole troupe now does not make sense, but it may be too late if they wait six or 12 months to address the issue [of the veterans]."
But while Hamann insists Bayern's board must back their coach fully in the transfer market if they are to see results on the continent, the 41-year-old remains unconvinced by Guardiola's record in charge of the Bavarians.
"I still believe that Pep needs to prove himself. The bar remains the Champions League," he continued. "And they lost 4-0 to Real Madrid there last year and 5-3 to Barca this year, with a squad which is probably just as expensive.
"Guardiola demands enormous amounts of himself and therefore gets worn down quickly. I don't think he can work for a club for more than three or four years, so I don't think there'll be a long Guardiola era at Bayern."
The Catalan coach took over at Allianz Arena in 2014 after Bayern had won the treble themselves, but the team have since failed to progress beyond the semi-finals of the Champions League in successive seasons under him.
Bayern Munich have confirmed that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will play for the club next season amid talk of a move to Tottenham.
Midfielder Hojbjerg spent the second half of last season on loan at Bayern's Bundesliga rivals Augsburg, scoring two goals in 16 appearances as Markus Weinzierl's side finished fifth to qualify for the UEFA Europa League.
Premier League team Tottenham had been linked with a swoop for the Denmark international, but the 19-year-old is set to continue his development at the Allianz Arena under coach Pep Guardiola.
"Pierre has continued to mature in the six months away from us," Bayern's sporting director Matthias Sammer told the club's official website.
"We're grateful to FC Augsburg for allowing him to take this step."
Recently crowned DFB Pokal champions Wolfsburg will begin the defence of their title away to Stuttgarter Kickers, just over two months after lifting the trophy.
The German Football Association (DFB) completed the draw for the first round of the 2015-16 DFB Pokal on Wednesday with Stuttgarter Kickers being awarded the honour of taking on the title-holders.
The first round is scheduled to be held from August 7-10.
The Kickers finished fourth in Germany's 3. Liga in 2014-15 but were eliminated in the first round of last season's DFB Pokal by eventual finalists Borussia Dortmund.
Wolfsburg defeated Dortmund 3-1 in Berlin on May 30 to claim their first title since being crowned Bundesliga champions in 2008-09.
Dortmund will travel to another third-tier club - Chemnitzer FC - who defeated Mainz 5-4 on penalties in the first round last season, after the match finished 5-5 following extra time.
Chemnitzer were then knocked out by Werder Bremen.
Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich will travel to fifth-tier club FC Nottingen.
Bayern exited in the semi-finals in 2014-15 after losing to Dortmund on penalties, while the other semi-finalist from last term - Arminia Bielefeld - will start their new cup campaign against Hertha Berlin.
Schalke will visit MSV Duisburg in a Ruhr derby, while Rot-Weiss Essen will also take on a local rival in Fortuna Dusseldorf and Karlsruher - who just missed out on promotion to the Bundesliga earlier this month - will travel an hour south to face fifth-tier SSV Reutlingen.
In-demand Augsburg coach Markus Weinzierl has decided to extend his stay with the Bundesliga club, signing a contract until 2019.
Schalke were one of the clubs Weinzierl was linked to after the 40-year-old led Augsburg to a fifth-placed finish in 2014-15.
But the former defender and midfielder will stay at Augsburg, signing a deal with no opt-out clause.
"We are honoured when the coach gets such lucrative offers," Augsburg (FCA) sports director Stefan Reuter said.
"This is a reward for the work of the entire club. Not only the extension of the contract in April 2019, but this rejection of other clubs are each clear dedication of a trainer for FCA.
"I am delighted that we can continue working together."
Augsburg's strong performance in 2014-15 means they will play in the UEFA Europa League next season.
Leverkusen snap up Mehmedi from relegated Freiburg
11 June 2015
Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed the signing of Switzerland international striker Admir Mehmedi on a four-year deal from Freiburg.
Mehmedi's loan move from Dynamo Kiev to Freiburg was made permanent prior to last season, but the club were relegated from the Bundesliga after finishing 17th.
The 24-year-old contributed seven goals in all competitions with his performances enough to merit a move to the BayArena.
Mehmedi's contract runs until 2019 with the former FC Zurich forward telling Leverkusen's official website: "My dream is to play in the Champions League.
"I can and want to achieve this goal with Bayer Leverkusen this season. The team really impressed me the last season, not just in the games against Freiburg.
"I think it's great that I am now a part of it."
Leverkusen have been busy in recent weeks, with coach Roger Schmidt agreeing fresh terms and Kyriakos Papadopoulos' loan from Schalke was made permanent.
Schalke have been fined €27,000 following four instances of "unsportsmanlike conduct" from supporters in their Bundesliga matches at Borussia Dortmund and Mainz earlier this year.
Fans of the club attempted to storm stadium entrances prior to February's 3-0 derby defeat at Dortmund, while fireworks were ignited late in the game.
A further disturbance occured at the start of Schalke's meeting with Mainz on April 24 - and the former have accepted the sanction handed down by the German Football Association's (DFB) sports court.
Following a difficult debut season with the Bundesliga side, the Italian striker is weighing up his options ahead of Euro 2016
Ciro Immobile is contemplating leaving Borussia Dortmund after enduring a difficult debut campaign at Signal Iduna Park.
The Italy international arrived from Torino after topping Serie A's goalscoring charts last term, but made just 17 starts in all competitions.
Immobile has been linked with a return to Italy, with Napoli and Fiorentina said to be interested, but, ahead of Thomas Tuchel's first season in charge at Dortmund, he is keen to take his time over any decision.
"It is normal that I am pleased to be linked with so many big teams, but if I have to change then I have an important choice to make," he told a news conference ahead of Italy's friendly with Portugal.
"Next year there are the Euros and I want to be a protagonist for Italy. That's not to say it can't happen at Borussia Dortmund because they have changed the coach and that could create new opportunities. but I might not stay at Dortmund.
"Thomas Tuchel will have a few weeks to get to know me. I want to see how things go there first."
The striker then reflected on the issues he had in his maiden season in the Bundesliga.
“My main problem this season was that the team did not play like Borussia Dortmund, the side we all knew. Previously they had a lot of scoring opportunities in each game, yet this time we struggled to get the ball into the box.
"I played more at the start of the season, then the coach opted to keep just Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in attack and results improved, so I was left out.
"For my part I am angry because there was an opportunity for me to be used much better, and I do not want to stay or leave as a loser.
"I want to leave a good memory and that's why I'm thinking about whether to stay or leave Borussia Dortmund."
Roman Burki, Roman Weidenfeller and Mitch Langerak are all vying to be the club's No.1 next season
Thomas Tuchel says he has made no decision over who his first choice goalkeeper will be at Borussia Dortmund following the signing of Roman Burki from Freiburg.
Burki, 24, arrived at Signal Iduna Park from Freiburg on Sunday and will compete with Roman Weidenfeller and Mitch Langerak for the Njersey during Tuchel's debut season in charge.
Long-serving number one Weidenfeller has a year left on his contract and there have been suggestions he could move on after losing his place in the side last season.
However, Tuchel maintains no decisions have been made as yet, telling Sky Sports News in Germany: "Roman Burki was always likely to have the possibility of being number one.
"That's his wish, his ambition and it is also our desire and our ambition that he accepts this competition. We have since promised him nothing, because things are not decided.
"Mitch has played in goal recently and performed well. He will not give that up easily, and with Roman Weidenfeller we have to see how he accepts this new situation."
Schalke general manager Horst Heldt has revealed that captain Benedikt Howedes has snubbed interest from two clubs in order to remain at the Veltins-Arena.
The Germany defender has been linked with London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham, as well as Manchester United.
Heldt stated at a press conference to unveil new head coach Andre Breitenreiter on Monday that Howedes has opted to stay in Gelsenkirchen.
"He had two offers from abroad. We are happy he decided to keep on playing for Schalke," said Heldt.
While Howedes is set to play his part in a new era under Breitenreiter, Heldt insisted that the club's stance on Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sidney Sam has not changed.
The duo were indefinitely suspended last month in the aftermath of a 2-0 Bundesliga defeat to Cologne due to indiscipline.
Horst said: "We are sticking with what we have decided, that we do not want to work with either of them next season."
Breitenreiter was confirmed as Roberto Di Matteo's successor on Friday and the former Paderborn boss is relishing the challenge that lies ahead.
"I'm delighted and proud to be able to coach a side like Schalke," said Breitenreiter
"We have to work as a team, where everyone can rely on each other
"We have to become a unit again both on and off the pitch. Then we will play successful football again.
"Our talks were very convincing for me. I'm ready for the challenge. We have a lot of experience in our squad, but also young players with heaps of potential.
"We have quality players. If they can rediscover the faith in their ability, then they can reach their potential.
"We won't set a position in the table as a goal for next season. We want to play football that excites the fans."
Rafael van der Vaart has signed a three-year contract with Real Betis after deciding to move on from Hamburg.
The Dutchman, capped 109 times by his country, left Hamburg after a disappointing season in the Bundesliga and will now try his luck in La Liga.
"I want to win and score goals, besides giving assists," Van der Vaart told Betis TV. "This stadium is always full and that's why I really want to win many games.
"I have a lot of experience. I have to play well. We have to enjoy it because football is the best job in the world."
Betis won promotion this season and Van der Vaart is their first signing ahead of next term's top-flight return.
The 32-year-old, who counts Ajax, Real Madrid and Tottenham among his former clubs, will be presented to the media on Tuesday.
Bayern Munich have completed the signing of Stuttgart goalkeeper Sven Ulreich on a three-year deal.
Ulreich has risen through the ranks at the Mercedes Benz Arena and made 28 Bundesliga appearances last term.
However, he has opted for a fresh challenge and moves to the Allianz Arena for an undisclosed fee, penning a contract until June 2018 with the German champions.
"I was looking for a new challenge after years in Stuttgart," he told Bayern's official website. "I'm in exactly the right place here at Bayern.
"I would like to contribute my part to the success and will always be there when I'm needed."
Ulreich. who made 220 appearances for Stuttgart, is likely to provide back-up for Manuel Neuer, with current deputy Pepe Reina widely expected to leave the club in search of regular first-team football.
Stoke City have agreed a deal to sign Hannover's Spanish striker Joselu and are aiming to complete the signing over the coming 24 hours.
The former Real Madrid man was Hannover's top scorer in the Bundesliga last term and looks on course to follow Mame Biram Diouf in making the move from the HDI Arena to the Britannia Stadium.
"Stoke City have agreed a deal with Hannover 96 to sign striker Joselu and hope to complete the deal within the next 24 hours," read a tweet from the Premier League club.
The 25-year-old, who has represented Spain at Under-21 level, swapped Eintracht Frankfurt for Hannover in 2014 and scored 10 goals in all competitions as his new club finished 13th in the German top flight.
Joselu is set to join a number of other former Bundesliga players at Stoke, with Marko Arnautovic, Diouf and Philipp Wollscheid all moving from Germany since Mark Hughes took over as manager in May 2013.
Stoke recorded a ninth-place Premier League finish in 2014-15 for a second successive season.
The former France international has been out of action since March but is adamant that Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt is not culpable in any way
Franck Ribery insists that former Bayern Munich team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt is not to blame for his ongoing injury issues.
The Frenchman, who missed last summer's World Cup with a persistent back complaint, has been out of action since March 11 with an ankle problem.
The winger had hoped to return to full training on July 1 but suffered yet another setback last week, when it emerged that he now requires a protective boot or plaster to avoid any further damage.
Bayern parted company with Muller-Wohlfahrt in April but Ribery has continued to see the specialist - despite the Bavarians having previously sent the 32-year-old to professor Markus Walther.
Muller-Wohlfahrt has denied that he has mishandled Ribery in any way - a claim supported by the player himself.
"I have full confidence in Muller-Wohlfahrt," the attacker told SportBild. "I have never experienced a better doctor in my career.
"He is really trying everything to get me back on the pitch but sometimes there are stages like this in which all medical efforts does not help.
"So, I'm not making accusations against anyone."
Muller-Wohlfart left in acrimonious circumstances following Bayern's Champions League defeat to Porto, a game which a number of first-team stars missed due to injury.
Schweinsteiger 'very sad' after death of Irish fan in Berkeley tragedy
By Goal Ireland
Jun 18, 2015 17:54:00
The Bayern Munich midfielder has written a message of support to the family of Nick Schuster, as well as offering condolences to those affected by the accident
Bastian Schweinsteiger has offered his condolences to the family of Irish man Nick Schuster, who was one of six students to die after a balcony collapsed in Berkeley, California.
A friend of Schuster reached out to Schweinsteiger via Facebook, explaining that the Dubliner was a fan of Bayern Munich and that his friends and family would be grateful if he made a post or sent a letter to Schuster's family.
The World Cup winner responded by sharing an image depicting him with Schuster and offering his condolences to the family of the young man.
"Dear Conor, I surely follow your wish. This news makes me very sad," wrote Schweinsteiger.
"I wish you, his family and all relatives of Nick much strength for this difficult time. I also would like to give my condolences to everybody else involved in this tragedy."
A total of six people died and a further seven where injured when a balcony of a fourth-floor property gave way during a 21st birthday party in the US city on Tuesday.
Having seen Max Kruse leave for Wolfsburg, Borussia Monchengladbach have secured the services of Switzerland forward Josip Drmic on a four-year deal from Bayer Leverkusen.
The 22-year-old moved to the BayArena from Nuremberg prior to last season, but struggled to make an impact at Leverkusen, having been used primarily as a substitute.
He will now be tasked with helping cover Kruse's absence in a squad that finished third in the Bundesliga last season.
"I will give everything to play as many matches and help the team both in the Bundesliga and in Europe," he told the club's official website.
"Of course it is great that we are in the Champions League and competing at the highest level with other top teams from Europe.
"The most important thing now is to get used to my new environment and get to know my new team-mates."
Drmic will line up alongside fellow Switzerland internationals Yann Sommer and Granit Xhaka for Monchengladbach next term.
