The 66-year-old says there would be nothing wrong with the German taking charge of his side’s arch-rivals if Pep Guardiola leaves this summer
Ottmar Hitzfeld believes Jurgen Klopp could follow in his footsteps and coach Bayern Munich after leaving Borussia Dortmund.
Klopp announced on Wednesday that an agreement had been reached to cancel his contract this summer after seven years in charge of the club, during which he won two Bundesliga titles and took them to a Champions League final.
Several teams are reported to be interested in acquiring the services of the 47-year-old, but Hitzfeld, who coached Dortmund for six years before spending a further seven at Bayern over two spells, believes Klopp should be considered as a candidate for the job at the Allianz Arena should it become available this summer.
“Guardiola has a contract just now, but may suddenly say at the end of the season ‘I need a break again’, just as he did at Barcelona,” he told Blick. “If Pep Guardiola wins the treble, one must expect that he might suddenly need a break and then goes away again.
“That would be a chain of events that would be fit for Bayern Munich and Jurgen Klopp. I see no problem at all with the idea of Klopp going to Bayern.
“A coach is a mercenary. When the door opens at Bayern Munich, he’s sure to be a candidate. And then he would surely have great success with Bayern.”
The 66-year-old also named Borussia Monchengladbach boss Lucien Favre a possible Bayern coach in the future.
“He is certainly a candidate for top clubs. He is a tactician who can form powerful teams. He would fit Bavaria, as well as other clubs. But I think he should stay a year or two more in Gladbach. The team will continue to evolve.”
Basel coach Paulo Sousa has been touted as a possible replacement for Klopp and Hitzfeld believes he would be another great option.
“Paulo Sousa has great success in Basel and has the team playing a good pressing game. Sousa is certainly a candidate with which Dortmund will consider.”