Despite not being universally acclaimed and following a subpar performance in the 0-1 loss to Mönchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund appears to be planning for the medium-term future with their current head coach, Niko Kovac. Reports from Ruhr Nachrichten suggest that BVB officials intend to initiate negotiations with Kovac’s management in the coming weeks. The primary objective is to discuss extending his contract, which is set to expire in 2027. The club’s inclination is clearly to secure Kovac’s commitment early, aiming to quell ongoing speculation surrounding the coaching position.
Dortmund’s new sporting director, Ole Book, reaffirmed his confidence after the Gladbach defeat, stating, «We have already clearly expressed our conviction in Niko. I enjoy working with him very, very much. I was already approached about this before today’s game and spoke very positively about it. That has certainly not changed due to the defeat.»
Kovac took over at BVB in early February 2025, replacing Nuri Sahin, and led the team to a remarkable late-season surge, securing Champions League qualification. While league results have generally been satisfactory, with second place a likely outcome, early exits in the Champions League (Round of 16) and the DFB-Pokal (Round of 16) have somewhat marred the overall picture. Furthermore, criticism often arises regarding BVB’s inconsistent attacking play under Kovac, a point the Croatian coach, who signed his current contract until 2027 in August last year, has recently defended.
Dortmund’s U23 Suffers Heavy Defeat in Local Derby Against Schalke
Borussia Dortmund’s second team endured a bitter defeat in the Regionalliga West, losing the local derby against FC Schalke 04’s U23 side 0-4. Jean Paul Ndiaye opened the scoring for Schalke in the 3rd minute, followed by a brace from Edion Gashi before halftime (21′, 36′). In the second half, In-Gyom Jung sealed the 4-0 victory for S04 (55′).
Dortmund’s U23 coach, Daniel Rios, expressed disappointment, noting, «We started the game poorly. Then we got better, had two great chances to potentially turn the game in our favor. We didn’t take those opportunities to perhaps shift the momentum. We didn’t anticipate the runs, especially in the first half, and Schalke did well. Hence, it was a deserved 3-0 lead. In the second half, we tried everything again. In the end, we can only congratulate Schalke on the win.» The team’s goal of immediate promotion back to the 3. Liga is now mathematically out of reach. They have also slipped to fourth place in the standings with two games remaining, while Schalke has closed the gap to two points.
BVB, Rumor: Will Borussia Bring a New Signing to Dortmund Sooner?
Kaua Prates’ move to Borussia Dortmund has been confirmed since February. However, according to FIFA regulations, the 17-year-old left-back can typically only officially join BVB from Brazilian club Cruzeiro upon turning 18 on August 12th, which would mean missing a significant portion of pre-season training for the upcoming campaign. The initial plan was to bring Prates to Dortmund in mid-August. Nevertheless, due to his increasingly complicated situation at Cruzeiro in recent weeks, Prates might potentially join BVB earlier. This is reported by Ruhr Nachrichten.
According to the report, Dortmund is currently working with Cruzeiro to find a special arrangement that would allow Prates a sooner transfer to the Bundesliga. This would enable the Brazilian youth international to train with coach Niko Kovac’s squad earlier. Interestingly, Prates has played almost no role at Cruzeiro since his move to Dortmund was announced in mid-February. He also recently suffered a thigh injury, which will keep him sidelined for the time being. Ruhr Nachrichten states that BVB’s sporting and medical departments are fully informed about the diagnosis and rehabilitation plan for the summer recruit.