No haste with Kovac extension
© Imago
Borussia Dortmund’s sports director Lars Ricken still takes time with a contract extension of coach Niko Kovac. With the players Emre Can, Julian Brandt or Niklas Süle, who initially go in their last contract year, Ricken also accepts a transfer -free departure at the end of the season.
“In this constellation we will now go into season and look at the development. Then we will see in the course of the season how the future can look like,” said Ricken in an interview with the “kicker”. Although the professionals said again and again and in particular Brandt was considered a candidate for sales after a disappointing season, “the appreciation for these players” is “definitely” given “according to Ricken. Together, the trio comes to a total market value of 40 million euros.
Rick: Hyrying praise on Kovac, but for the time being no extension
Even greater the appreciation for coach Kovac, who had taken over the BVB, which had been tumbling in winter in early February, to the Champions League in early February. “No sheet of paper fits between us,” said Ricken. “He is honest, straight ahead, it cannot be bent. During our getting to know it, it quickly became clear to me that he is not just a fireman, but someone who has to give you the opportunity to develop a team.”
However, he does not see hurry with a possible extension. “We will not be guided by the public debates, but are very relaxed and take our time,” emphasized the 49-year-old. “In winter I was criticized for making Niko a contract until 2026. Then I should best extend it directly after the 34th matchday.” One is “in a daily conversation”, says Ricken: “If there is something to announce, we will do that.”
After the quarter-finals at the club World Cup, the vacation for the players has been over since the weekend. On Monday, the Kovac team trains again on the pitch for the first time. The first competitive game of the new season is already in the DFB Cup in the Denzor neighbor Rot-Weiss Essen in three weeks. So far, two newcomers have been at BVB this summer, and Yan Couto and Daniel Svensson have also been committed, which led to expenses of 57.25 million euros. In return, 77.1 million euros have been taken.