Change of trainer: Kovac obligation only first step for crisis BVB

The trainer is found, but the construction sites in the squad and the club remain. The challenges for Niko Kovac at his new employer Borussia Dortmund in the current situation are immense. The 53 -year -old successor to the Nuri Sahin, who was leaving last week, takes over a BVB with many construction sites from Sunday. The first victory in the new year did not change the “sporty situation”, which was also “sporty.

A few hours after the final agreement with Kovac, the tumbling district giant won 3: 1 (2: 0) at the end of the preliminary round in the Champions League against Shachtar Donetsk. Balsam for the soul and well for the very strained self -confidence of the team, nothing more. “That is very, very good. We need success,” said goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

Because of the catastrophic bad game in the previous week at 1-2 against FC Bologna, which Sahin ultimately cost the job after four defeats in a row, Kovac with BVB in February still had to go to the round of 16 against Sporting Lisbon or FC Bruges in February. At the end, the Dortmunders lacked a direct move into the round of 16.

“Mistinctive feeling” for Tullberg – situation remains tense

Seen in this way, the expressed emotional world of interim coach Mike Tullberg (“A mentally ill feeling. Emotions pure.”) After five victorious Dortmund competitive games, almost strange appears. Especially since the pressure in the league remains huge. “We have an extremely important game in the Bundesliga on Saturday,” Ricken warned. At the 1st FC Heidenheim, A-youth coach Tullberg will look after the professionals again before Kovac takes over the BVB crashed into the Bundesliga middle field.

The expectations of the former coach of FC Bayern, Eintracht Frankfurt and VfL Wolfsburg are great. “We are all, very, very optimistic. We have great hopes that we will collect so many points in the next few weeks that we get back on top step by step,” said sports director Sebastian Kehl, who made his explanations listen. The 44-year-old vehemently defended the badly criticized squad, for which he is of course responsible.

Kehl defends squad – Kovac is supposed to “make better” players

“I believe that the squad is significantly stronger than what we delivered and what can also be seen in tabular,” said Kehl in view of the BVB claims catastrophic place. “It is important to make the players who are there better,” said Kehl from Kovac.

Kehl is also under pressure. The transfer window ends on Monday and the return of loan players Salih Öczan from VfL Wolfsburg ended as a replacement for the injured Felix Nmecha, so far it has not been possible to get winter access. The squad is considered difficult and briefly measured. An important offensive player also left the club in Donyell Malen.

There were also talks with Kovac, which inherits this problem, so to speak, for the much criticized squad. “Of course we also talked about it,” said Kehl, who does not want an actionism: “We will use the next few days to maybe do something. But it may also be that we don’t have to do anything anymore be convinced of this. “

Kovac inherits a secondary scene

According to the current status, it is quite possible that the balance sheet will be drawn after the end of the transfer period and at least squad planner Sven Mislintat has to go. The throat and misintattite should be associated with mutual aversion. These apparently insurmountable differences should also be a reason for the transfer traffic jam. There is also a possibly uncomfortable decision with regard to consultant Matthias Sammer. The controversial simultaneous commitment of Sammer as Amazon Prime expert at BVB Champions League games is very discomfort internally.

All of these “secondary locations”, the end of which Sahin had already asked for before his leave of absence, now also feels Kovac when he took office.