Klopp to take a break

Jürgen Klopp announced on Monday that he will be taking a break from football "until further notice." Klopp, whose last game on the bench was Dortmund's 3-1 loss in Saturday's German Cup final, confirmed his decision in a statement to Germany-based news agencies.

"After seven intensive and emotional years of real love for Borussia Dortmund, I think it makes sense to process the countless memories before I take on a new task, fresh and highly motivated, with my team," he said in the statement.

The 47-year-old had been linked to a number of top European clubs, since announcing on April 15 that he would be leaving Dortmund. Former Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel is to succeed Klopp at the Bundesliga club.

Golden era comes to an end

Since joining BVB in 2007, Klopp had won two league titles, plus the German Cup - and reached a Champions League final in 2013 with the western German side.

He is credited with taking BVB from mid-table obscurity, to becoming one of Germany's biggest and most important teams behind Bayern Munich. He encouraged an attacking style of play at the club, including high-pressing that often caught his opponents off guard.

But it was his down-to-earth nature with the media and the public that endeared him most to his many fans at Borussia Dortmund and across German football. At a farewell dinner after the German Cup defeat Klopp was typically emotional in his goodbye speech.

"This is here and now my hardest moment," he said, in front of 2000 guests. "The pain of saying goodbye is building slowly and it really hurts."