Doubts about the new BVB coach
Max Kruse shoots against Niko Kovač
01.02.2025 – 10:09 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Max Kruse and Neu-BVB coach Niko Kovač combines a common past. Now the former professional has distributed again.
Borussia Dortmund has committed a new trainer with Niko Kovač. However, the opinions about the 53-year-old’s commitment to BVB differ. Not everyone sees the decision positively. The former Bundesliga professional Max Kruse now expressed doubts as to whether Kovač is the right man for the black yellow.
“I think that Niko Kovač is basically an alpha animal. And I believe that BVB simply needs a trace in the current situation and not someone who attracts even more attention,” said Kruse in an interview with RTL/NTV and ” sports.de “.
Kruse sees a successful future for BVB under Kovač, who signed a contract until 2026. The former international said Kovač was a trainer who wants to show quickly “that he is the boss in the house and does not allow any other opinion”. He also lacks sensitivity, which is crucial for good team leadership.
“I believe that he pretends to have a direction and only counts this direction. There is no other way to succeed or to succeed,” continued Kruse. “As I got to know Niko Kovač, he will now give the tone and say: ‘If you don’t go this way, you will be sorted out tough.'”
The two men combine a common past. After moving from Union Berlin to VfL Wolfsburg, Kruse trained under Kovač for a few months. There was a dispute. In autumn 2022, Kovač ultimately sorted the former international for “lack of focus” and “lack of engagements” from the team (you can read more about this here). Kruse fears that Kovač’s leadership style could lead to problems within the team. After all, there are already some strong personalities in the squad.
However, Kruse also showed that Kovač could have developed further. “Perhaps Niko Kovač has also learned and does it differently than in the stations before. However, the skepticism remains. “I think a large club like Borussia Dortmund will not be successful with Niko Kovač sooner or later.”