text: Borussia Dortmund have moved swiftly to secure Thomas Tuchel as the successor to Jurgen Klopp, after he announced he was bringing the curtain down on his seven-year stay at the club this week. Klopp is a popular character across football but has endured a difficult season at Dortmund, with the club embroiled in a relegation battle for much of the campaign before a minor resurgence in form led them into the top half of the Bundesliga. Four days after Klopp announced he believes he has taken the club as far as he can and is seeking pastures new, Dortmund have revealed Tomas Tuchel will take over in July on a three-year deal. Thomas Tuchel (left) will replace Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp at the start of July . Klopp revealed on Wednesday he was leaving Dortmund at the end of the season after seven years . TUCHEL TREADS A SIMILAR PATH TO KLOPP . Like Klopp, the 41-year-old Tuchel carved a name for himself at German club Mainz. A year into Klopp's tenure at Dortmund, Tuchel took over at the age of 36 and surpassed the achievements of his Dortmund predecessor, taking the club to two Europa League qualifications and their highest ever Bundesliga position of 5th. Tuchel is currently seeing out the final year of his Mainz contract through a year-long break from the game . Both Tuchel (left) and Klopp have been manager of Mainz before going on to Dortmund . Upon the resolution of last season, where Mainz qualified for Europe, Tuchel announced his surprise decision to step away from his duties as manager after four years at the club. But he is still contracted to the team and when the final year of his agreement expires he will bring his year-long break from football to a close by stepping up and taking the reigns at the Westfalenstadion on July 1. HOW DOES HE PLAY? Tuchel has a reputation as a cunning tactician, who enjoys attacking football and coerces the best from his players on the coaching field. In an interview with Bundesliga.com in March this year, he defined the style he looks to enforce in his teams. 'I prefer certain qualities, an active playing style, bold defending and pacy play in attack,' Tuchel said. 'There’s definitely a style that’s been attributed to me, that we brought to the table at Mainz.' GUARDIOLA ADMIRATION . In the same interview, Tuchel commended the work and achievements of Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola, the man he will now look to lock horns with as Dortmund manager. Tuchel has spoken of his admiration of Pep Guardiola's management of Barcelona and Lionel Messi . Tuchel praised Guardiola's management of Lionel Messi during his time at Barcelona and lauded his renowned meticulous approach. 'Outstanding, schematic use of the ball, brilliant individuals like Lionel Messi and top stars putting in the grittiest, most diligent defensive efforts I've ever seen,' Tuchel gushed of Pep's Barca. 'I learned everything about the game - especially during Guardiola's time at Barcelona.' TUCHEL LINKED WITH NEWCASTLE . The German manager was strongly linked with Newcastle in January after the Premier League club tried to establish their plan following the departure of Alan Pardew to Crystal Palace. But no move ever materialised, most likely because of the delicate nature of the deal that is still in place with Mainz. Tuchel admitted that Spanish and English football is of interest to him but he wanted to return to management in Germany. HERMANN BADSTUBER AN INFLUENCE . Tuchel lists Hermann Badstuber, a youth coach at Stuttgart and the father of Bayern Munich defender Holger Badstuber, as his biggest influence as a coach. In an interview with Spox.com in September 2009, six months after Badstuber's death from cancer, Tuchel revealed how much he had shaped his coaching philosophy. Tuchel has a reputation for enforcing an attacking approach to his team's style of play . Tuchel was linked with the manager vacancy at Newcastle United shortly after Alan Pardew left . 'I barely know any coach who brings so much knowledge in itself and at the same time allows as much lateral thinking and constantly questions,' Tuchel said. 'He worked diligently and thereby remained modest. He  very, very much influenced me professionally and personally.' Tuchel and Badstuber crossed paths at Stuttgart, where they worked training youth sides, following Tuchel's retirement as a player at SSV Ulm due to a persistent knee injury when he was 24.
target: Thomas Tuchel has signed a three-year deal to replace Jurgen Klopp .
  Tuchel will officially take over at Borussia Dortmund on July 1 .
  The 41-year-old's last job was at Bundesliga side Mainz .