Marco Rose smiled wryly.

According to statements by Borussia Dortmund's licensed player boss Sebastian Kehl on the fringes of the game at the Greuther Fürth game association, the coach was suddenly confronted with speculation about his future.

"I'll be coach of Borussia Dortmund next year," Rose emphasized after the final whistle on TV channel Sky: "I'm looking forward to it."

When asked twice before whether Rose would still be coach of Dortmund next season, Kehl replied that he assumed so.

That was enough to spark a lightning debate about Rose, who still has a contract in Dortmund until the summer of 2024.

"What should I tell you about that?

You're trying to conjure something out of something," Rose answered the Sky reporter after the 3-1 (1-0) win against Fürth.

With regard to the club management around Hans-Joachim Watzke, he assured: "We work together very trustingly."

In addition, the Dortmund coach said: "But it's football and there are people who say that I may not be the right coach, but there are also many people who say that the path and the circumstances have been difficult this season.

I think that happens relatively quickly in football, if you lose two games you're actually gone again.

But I take it all relatively relaxed.

We are runners-up and have 66 points.

But we have disappointed badly in all cup competitions.”

Dortmund certainly in second place

Rose had at least a little reason to be happy on Saturday.

Julian Brandt shot the club to secure second place.

With two goals against Fürth, the international eliminated the last theoretical doubts about the position behind permanent champion FC Bayern Munich.

For Dortmund, the homecoming of Fürth coach Stefan Leitl was like a summer kick without the necessary sharpness and speed, but they turned it up in the final phase on Saturday.

Brandt converted BVB's first chance in the 26th minute and restored the lead after the break (72').

With his first Bundesliga goal, Jessic Ngankam (70th) made the Fürth supporters cheer in the meantime.

Felix Passlack (77th), however, increased with a deflected shot in the stadium, which was sold out with 16,626 fans.

Borussia around the goalless Erling Haaland showed only a tiny reaction after the indisputable 3: 4 against VfL Bochum and won through their higher individual class.

In their last home game, the Fürthers were equal opponents for a long time.

The industrious Fürth only gave BVB little space.

Leitl also made sure of that with a clever change: Striker Jamie Leweling sometimes even gave a left full-back and thus slowed down the offensive efforts of Dortmund on the right side.

The video referee spoiled Fürther's jubilation about the supposed lead in the 23rd minute by captain Branimir Hrgota because of offside.

The technically clearly superior Dortmund countered with a dust collector: keeper Andreas Linde only let a shot from Raphaël Guerreiro parry, Brandt followed up successfully.

The Fürth managing director Rachid Azzouzi spoke of a "sad day" because he had to say goodbye to promotion coach Leitl before the game.

The 44-year-old, who is likely to move to Hannover 96, received a lot of encouragement from the stands, and his players applauded him.

In the second half, Dortmund had more space against more courageous hosts.

Haaland kept getting stuck on a Fürth opponent and was later replaced without the big accents.

With a remarkable lob, Ngankam gave the Franconian fans a well-deserved goal celebration.

"I tried that many times in training, but it didn't work out," admitted the young striker.

In return, Brandt again completed a Dortmund counterattack.

Passlack also tunneled Fürth's goalkeeper Linde.

A goal by Jude Bellingham (85th) did not count for offside.