New trainer from Sunday
© Imago
Niko Kovac becomes the new coach of Borussia Dortmund. This was confirmed by sports director Lars after the 3-1 home win against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League. “We have found a fundamental agreement with Niko Kovac. He will take over the team on Sunday, ”said the 48-year-old at the“ DAZN ”microphone. At the upcoming Bundesliga game at the 1st FC Heidenheim on Saturday (3:30 p.m./Sky), interim coach Mike Tullberg will sit on the bench.
The BVB separated a week ago after the 1-2 in the penultimate Champions League group game at FC Bologna and four defeats at the start of the year of head coach Nuri Şahin. Since then, BVB has been looking for a successor. Numerous names like Ralf Rangnick, Roger Schmidt or Erik Ten Hag were traded.
According to media reports, Kovac in Dortmund receives a contract until 2026. Before that, he is said to have rejected a first offer of the black and yellow. The Dortmund managers traveled to Kovac’s adopted home of Salzburg on Monday to convince him of an engagement – with success. Brother Robert, active as a player for BVB from 2007 to 2009, should follow him as an assistant coach for Borussia.
From July 2022 to March 2024, Kovac trained VfL Wolfsburg and won an average of 1.3 points in 66 games. Previously, he stood on the sidelines at AS Monaco, FC Bayern and Eintracht Frankfurt and looked after the Croatian national team from 2013 to 2015. He won the double with the Munich team in 2019, with the SBU he won the DFB Cup a year earlier.
BVB is far behind its own minimum goal
Kovac takes over a difficult mission in Dortmund. The team lags behind their own expectations and those of the bosses. In the Bundesliga, BVB is only in eleventh place. The Dortmunders see themselves as challengers from Bayern Munich and Master Bayer Leverkusen in the title fight. At least the Champions League qualification is supposed to be here-if only for financial reasons. However, the gap to fourth place, which would entitle the premier class to participate, is already six points. In the DFB Cup, BVB ended in the second round at Kovac’s ex-club VfL Wolfsburg.