“Wouldn’t stand where we stand”
BVB coach Kovač counters Rangnick’s statements
April 2, 2026 – 7:54 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
After criticism of Carney Chukwuemeka’s knowledge of German, his club coach Niko Kovač speaks out. The midfielder sees himself as responsible.
BVB coach Niko Kovač has rejected Austria’s national coach Ralf Rangnick’s criticism of his midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka’s knowledge of German.
The 54-year-old emphasized that communication within the team works. Kovač: “We communicate very well, everyone is understandable. If we talked past each other, we wouldn’t be where we are in the Bundesliga. We do that in English and I think that’s quite okay.”
Rangnick had previously expressed surprise after Chukwuemeka’s national team debut. “I was a bit surprised that they hadn’t even tried to take German lessons with him in Dortmund,” he said. The 67-year-old referred to his time at clubs like Leipzig and Hoffenheim, where German lessons were mandatory several times a week.
Kovač, on the other hand, emphasized BVB’s international orientation. “We are an international club, we are in a global world, so it’s important that you speak different languages as a coach, and we really speak a lot of English here.” This is also common in other sports. At the same time, every player tries to learn the language of their work environment. However, with the tight rhythm of games and training, it is not easy to find time for this.
Chukwuemeka sees himself as responsible. “The responsibility lies not with the club, but with me. I’ve been in Dortmund for a year,” said the midfielder. The 22-year-old, who was born in Vienna and grew up in England, recently celebrated a successful debut in the Austrian national team with one goal and two wins.
