New Delhi: Borussia Dortmund parted ways with former player and head coach Nuri Sahin earlier this month and were looking for his successor ever since. They seem to have finally settled down on his replacement as the club have reached an agreement in principle with former Bayern Munich manager, Nico Kovac, who is now all set to take over the Bundesliga outfit after almost a year long break.
Dortmund’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl confirmed that the club is in the final stages of the appointment process, stating in a pre-match interview before their Champions League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk that the club had made its decision but that it would not be Ralf Rangnick. Reports from German newspaper Bild indicate that Kovac has already signed a contract that will keep him at the club until 2026.
The 53-year-old coach is expected to arrive in Dortmund within the coming days and will officially take charge on February 8, when Dortmund face VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. Kovac returns to Bundesliga management for his fourth stint, having previously managed Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern Munich, and Wolfsburg. His most notable achievements came with Frankfurt, where he led them to the 2018 DFB-Pokal title.
🚨🟡⚫️ Nico Kovać has signed in as new Borussia Dortmund head coach until June 2026.
Contract signed and then club announcement to follow today, as Lars Ricken confirmed. pic.twitter.com/orBh3azJUA
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 30, 2025
He then moved to Bayern Munich, where he won a domestic treble of the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and DFL-Supercup. However, despite his successes, his tenure at Bayern was cut short due to internal disagreements. His last managerial role was at Wolfsburg, where he parted ways with the club in March 2024. Now, Kovac steps into a challenging role at Dortmund, who are struggling in mid-table this season.
He will be tasked with revitalizing a side that has failed to find consistency, with Dortmund currently sitting in 11th place in the Bundesliga, six points adrift of the top four. The Black and Yellow faithful will hope that Kovac can bring stability and improvement to the team as they aim to secure a top-four finish and progress further in European competitions.
Former Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag overlooked
Former Ajax and Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag was said to be amongst the front runners for the role of new Dortmund head coach but he remains available after the club decided not to go for him. Ten Hag’s friendship with Dortmund advisor Matthias Sammer was seen as a crucial point in him being named the next manager but that hasn’t turned out to be the case.
It was reported that Ten Hag wasn’t reached out because the financial package to appoint the Dutchman would’ve bee much higher than Dortmund’s liking. There were a host of names linked with the position before an agreement was made for Niko Kovac with the likes of Ralf Rangnick and Roger Schmidt being touted as possible replacements along side Ten Hag but Dortmund have chosen to go with a proven Bundesliga manager to lead them further.
Borussia Dortmund’s search for their successor to Nuri Sahin seems to have come to an end with the club set to announce former Bayern Munich manager as their new head coach. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
