Borussia Dortmund have said they will never sack their coach Jűrgen Klopp. The club, champions in 2011 and 2012, have been struggling at the bottom of the Bundesliga table and have lost 10 of their 17 matches in the first half of the season.

They currently lie 17th in the Bundesliga, but their chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke insisted the 47-year-old’s job was safe.

“We will never sack Jürgen Klopp,” Watzke told SportBild magazine. “He has a lot of merits at the club. It will never come to a confrontational situation with him.”

Klopp, who took over in 2008 and also led Dortmund to the 2013 Champions League final, has suffered his worst first half to a season at the club who were league runners-up last season.

Dortmund have taken steps towards strengthening the side, signing Slovenia’s Kevin Kampl from Red Bull Salzburg to boost their midfield in a reported €12m (£9.4m) deal.

Despite their bad domestic run Dortmund are still in the running for the Champions League title, taking on Juventus in the last 16 next month.