Coach Jupp Heynckes, who said Monday he will leave Bayer Leverkusen at the of the season, has been approached by Bayern Munich.
The veteran coach, however, said he had neither agreed with Bayern nor had he had any talks yet with his former club.
''The decision (to leave Leverkusen) has no private or health reasons and it came independently of developments in Munich,'' he said.
Bayern coach Louis van Gaal is also leaving at the end of the season and Heynckes has been linked with a return to his former club by persistent reports in the German media.
Leverkusen's new coach will be Robin Dutt, who is now in charge of Freiburg. Dutt will receive a two-year contract, with a one-year extension option, Leverkusen said Monday. Freiburg, meanwhile, said junior coach Marcus Sorg would succeed Dutt.
The 65-year-old Heynckes declined Leverkusen's offer of a one-year extension on his two-year deal.
''Mr. Heynckes informed us that he won't be available for another year,'' Leverkusen managing director Wolfgang Holzhaeuser said.
Leverkusen is second in the Bundesliga and Heynckes is in the unusual situation of trying to secure a direct slot in the Champions League for his current club at the expense of possibly his future one.
Holzhaeuser, however, said he was under the impression Heynckes planned to retire.
''That's how I interpret it,'' Holzhaeuser said.
Bayern is fourth, seven points behind Leverkusen, which is also seven points behind leader Borussia Dortmund. There are seven matches remaining and Leverkusen plays Bayern on April 17.
''Leverkusen is a very well managed club with a great team,'' Heynckes said. ''It was a very difficult decision for me to make.
''I'll do all I can to secure second place and achieve a direct slot in the Champions League.''
Heynckes came out of retirement to coach Bayern for five games after the firing of Juergen Klinsmann before the club hired Van Gaal less than two years ago. Heynckes steered Bayern into the Champions League.
That was Heynckes' second stint at Bayern after 1987-91 and his short but successful stay earned him a job in Leverkusen.
Heynckes announced his decision one day after Leverkusen beat Schalke 2-0.
His departure from Leverkusen is the latest in a series of coaching moves that is rarely seen in the Bundesliga.
After Bayern announced that Van Gaal would be leaving one year before the end of his contract, Armin Veh was fired from Hamburger SV and Felix Magath was fired by Schalke, only to be hired two days later by Wolfsburg, the club Magath led to the championship in 2009.
