DORTMUND, Germany — Borussia Dortmund’s chief has confirmed that nine-time Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt will practice with the Bundesliga team.

Hans-Joachim Watzke tells Kicker magazine on Sunday that "it was no joke" and "not a marketing move."

Watzke was responding to a report in a Guardian newspaper that Bolt planned to train with Dortmund, one of the top Bundesliga teams.

Dortmund and Bolt are both sponsored by the same Germany-based sports goods company — Puma, whose president contacted Dortmund to say that Bolt had asked about training with the team.

Watzke said he welcomed the idea and that Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel also looked forward to it. Watzke said the timing of the practice remains to be determined.

Asked if Bolt could have a future in Dortmund, Watzke replied, "we don’t even need to talk about it."