Niko Kovac will be the new coach of Borussia Dortmund

Niko Kovac becomes the new coach of Borussia Dortmund and is supposed to lead the proud district club out of the crisis. The 53-year-old succeeds Nuri Sahin as head coach. This was confirmed by sports director Lars after the 3-1 in the Champions League against Schachtar Donetsk at the streaming service. Kovac will take over the team on Sunday. He receives a contract for almost one and a half years until June 30, 2026.

U19 coach Mike Tullberg looked after the team 2-2 against Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Tullberg is also said to sit on the bench against the 1st FC Heidenheim on Saturday, as managing director Lars Ricken and sports director Sebastian Kehl announced before the game against Donetsk. Then the time of Kovac begins.

He takes over a difficult mission in Dortmund. The former coach of Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg is now training a team that lags behind their own expectations and those of the bosses this season. In the Bundesliga, BVB is only in eleventh place in the table.

The Dortmunders see themselves as challengers of FC Bayern Munich and by 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, Dortmund ended in the second round at VfL Wolfsburg. Kovac was released in Wolfsburg in March 2024.

The BVB separated from Sahin a week ago after the 1-2 in the Champions League at FC Bologna. After four defeats at the start of the year, those responsible saw no other way than without the 36-year-old.