Dortmund extend Lucien Favre, who is building something special

Borussia Dortmund gave Bayern Munich everything they could handle in the 2018-2019 Bundesliga campaign, even though they weren’t expected to make a real push for the title prior to the start of the season. Manager Lucien Favre is building something special for BVB, and it made all the sense in the world to give him a one-year extension.

After winning the Champions League for Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp was rewarded with a well-earned raise and extension. The same can be said for his former club Borussia Dortmund’s current manager Lucien Favre, as BVB officially announced that Favre has been signed until June 2021.

While Dortmund didn’t win any silverware in Favre’s first season, they came agonizingly close to winning the Bundesliga over Bayern Munich. If it weren’t for key injuries to Marco Reus, Manuel Akanji, Paco Alcacer and Lukasz Piszczek (among others) during the middle of the season, Dortmund may have won the title.

Regardless, Dortmund exceeded expectations in Favre’s first season. They played exciting, counter-attacking football and found a world-class striker in Alcacer, whose goal-scoring record made him the Bundesliga’s most lethal striker when on the pitch.

Favre could lead Dortmund to even more success in 2019-2020, as the team swiftly made a trio of upgrades upon the conclusion of their second-placed Bundesliga campaign. Dortmund signed attacking-minded left back Nico Schulz, Germany’s No. 10 in Julian Brandt, and likely breakout star Thorgan Hazard. All three were affordable signings, and Dortmund appear ready to pounce on a fourth in former captain Mats Hummels.

Extending Favre for one year was both wise and obvious. He’s earned an additional year to build Dortmund in his image, and it seems like the players have taken to his tactics and ability to motivate. Though kind-hearted, Favre is demanding as a manager, and that allows him to get the best out of his players.

Dortmund is filled with hard-working standouts like Akanji, Axel Witsel, Jadon Sancho, Marco Reus, and Mario Gotze, just to name a handful. Their mix of veteran stability and robust youth allowed them to challenge Bayern last season, and the likes of Hazard and Brandt have the star power to take Dortmund to the next level after a disappointing effort against Tottenham in the Champions League’s knockout stages.

After getting the most out of Witsel, Alcacer, and Sancho (perhaps the Bundesliga’s best player and the best young player in the world overall) last season, it will be exciting to see how Favre utilizes new transfers like Hazard. The one-year extension gives Favre and the players more comfort and confidence heading into what should be a fantastic 2019-2020 campaign, as it at least temporarily avoids questions about Favre’s immediate future.

As Dortmund’s official Twitter account noted, Favre’s ratio of 2.24 points per game is the best in club history. That, combined with the progress individual players made under his leadership, is a sign Favre is the best possible man to lead BVB back to the Bundesliga title – and maybe even the Champions League Final.