Borussia Dortmund has officially appointed former Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac as their new head coach. The 53-year-old has signed an 18-month contract and will assume his duties following this weekend’s Bundesliga clash against Heidenheim.
Kovac replaces Nuri Sahin, who was dismissed last week after Dortmund suffered a Champions League defeat to Bologna—marking their fourth consecutive loss across all competitions.
“We have had intensive discussions with Niko Kovac over the past few days and have deliberately taken the time to get to know each other and our expectations better,” said Dortmund’s managing director, Lars Ricken. “We are in a challenging sporting situation and are sure that in Niko we have found the coach who is able to master it.”
Expressing confidence in his new role, Kovac stated: “All those responsible at BVB gave us a very good feeling in the talks, so I am convinced that we can achieve a lot together in the future.”
Kovac’s appointment comes shortly after Dortmund secured a Champions League play-off spot, finishing 10th in the league phase following a crucial 3-1 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk. They will now compete against either Club Brugge or Sporting for a place in the knockout rounds.
Domestically, Dortmund has struggled this season, sitting 11th in the Bundesliga table with just seven wins from 19 matches—trailing league leaders Bayern Munich by 22 points.
With Kovac at the helm, Dortmund will look to revive their campaign and push for a strong finish in both domestic and European competitions.