Borussia Dortmund names Thomas Tuchel new manager; will take over at end of season

Borussia Dortmund have their successor to Jurgen Klopp, and the fit seems all too natural - in more ways than one.

The club announced Sunday that Thomas Tuchel, the former Mainz manager who has been biding his time as a free agent, waiting for his next opportunity since stepping down from the aforementioned club last summer, will replace Klopp at the end of the current campaign.

Tuchel, 41, was the name on everyone's lips as the leading candidate to step in for Klopp, who shocked many by announcing on Wednesday that he would relinquish his managerial role at Dortmund and leave the club come the end of the season.

While the timing of Klopp's announcement caught more than a few people by surprise, the availability of Tuchel offered Dortmund a ready-made replacement - one whose fast-paced, high-pressing system should translate perfectly to a club that has become known for a similar style under Klopp's guidance.

Tuchel, who took over at Mainz one year after Klopp left in 2008 to manager Dortmund, has signed a three-year contract to follow in his compatriot's footsteps once again, this time at the Westfalenstadion.

He will assume his spot on the bench beginning July 1.