Favre promised he can stay on even if Dortmund do not win league

"We will definitely go into the new season with Lucien Favre, whether we win the league or not," Zorc told Kicker magazine on Thursday. Dortmund are two points behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga title race with three games to go, having held a nine-point lead over their rivals back in December.

After recent humiliating defeats to both Bayern and local rivals Schalke, many had questioned whether Favre had what it took to lead Dortmund to their first title since 2012. Bild, the German tabloid, asserted that Favre should leave if he didn't win the league. Yet Zorc insisted that Favre had the full backing of the club, and even said he was confident that the Swiss coach would extend his current contract beyond 2020.

"We have a very good relationship of trust, and we will hold contract talks," said the Dortmund sporting director.  The club hierarchy rebuked Favre after he declared the title race over following defeat to Schalke last weekend.

"We will never give up hope and we will fight to the end, that is part of our DNA," Dortmund players' director Sebastian Kehl told Kicker on Thursday.

Dortmund face a tough trip to Werder Bremen this Saturday, before playing Fortuna Duesseldorf and Borussia Moenchengladbach in their last two games. League leaders Bayern, meanwhile, host bottom club Hannover on Saturday, before clashes with top four sides RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt.