Borussia Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp has dismissed suggestions he could replace Gerardo Martino at Barcelona.
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With Martino expected to leave the Camp Nou after just one season in charge, reports in the Spanish press have suggested Klopp -- who guided Dortmund to last season’s Champions League final -- is a prime candidate for the role.
However, Klopp extended his contract until 2018 in October and told BVB total! that he has no intention of leaving the Westfalenstadion at this stage.
“No one needs to worry,” he said in quotes reported on the club’s official website. “We are all still a bit in love with this club and with the way things are handled here.”
Before Dortmund beat Mainz 4-2 on Saturday, Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel joked that he would love to see Klopp hosting the German television programme “Wetten, dass...?”, saying the show would “come to life again if he would host it.”
Asked about the comments, Klopp replied: "I would love to host it -- but only if it takes place in Barcelona!"
Dortmund CEO Aki Watzke told Die Welt that, although he felt there was no chance of Klopp leaving in the near future, he has given consideration to what may happen further down the line.
“Juergen Klopp has signed a contract until 2018 with us and has never broken a contract,” he said. “I would rule out any possibility that he will leave us before that,” he said. “But, in fact, our task is to ensure that Borussia Dortmund is fully equipped to deal with it if at some point he leaves. It is a big job, but we have to do it. There is no alternative.”