Borussia Dortmund’s coach, Niko Kovac, has defended himself against critics, drawing a bold comparison and noting the BVB’s lack of quality compared to Bayern Munich.
«Of course, the expectations at Borussia Dortmund are significantly higher than at 16 other clubs in the Bundesliga. I ask you: Who plays attractively in the Bundesliga consistently, apart from Bayern Munich? And is attractiveness more important than success?» Kovac stated in an interview with FAZ. He addressed the recurring accusation that the difference between his considerable points tally since taking office and the team’s attractive playing style is disproportionate.
«One must understand that the Bundesliga is not a theater stage where every performance is the same; much is unpredictable,» added the Berlin-born coach, emphasizing, «Hardly any club offers its audience four goals and offensive spectacle every week. I think we have shown some very good and attractive games this season.»
Kovac supported his thesis by referencing his own statistics as BVB coach. «‘Kovac-ball’ is something someone coined, and it’s probably been in the air ever since. I know the prejudices: ‘too passive, too defensive.’ A look at the statistics certainly doesn’t confirm that. […] On average, we score more than two goals per game; only Bayern and Stuttgart have scored more goals than us,» he said, and in a bold comparison, asked for patience: «Even Jürgen Klopp took three years to win his first championship here back then.»
Kovac won 41 of his 69 games, with BVB losing only 15 times, resulting in an average of 1.97 points per game. Despite two recent defeats and the championship already decided in favor of FC Bayern, Kovac still has a big goal. «I believe my team can reach 72 points – that would have made Borussia Dortmund German champions in 2023. Unfortunately, this time it’s not enough.»
Kovac: ‘We lack what Bayern has in abundance’
In the remaining three matches against Borussia Mönchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Werder Bremen, the Black and Yellows would need to secure five more points to achieve their target tally. This would be their best result in seven years, after BVB collected 76 points in the 2018/19 season under Lucien Favre.
Simultaneously, Kovac emphasized that while he is «very satisfied with the team’s development in the past 15 months,» there comes a point where only the players decide the outcome of a match, hinting at the perennial Dortmund mentality debate. «As a coach, you can guide a team to a certain point with your staff; beyond that, the player decides.»
In this regard, FC Bayern has a decisive advantage, Kovac explained. «What we perhaps lack a little is what Bayern has in abundance: an incredibly strong squad with many special individualists.» The record German champions, with their 100-goal strike trio of Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Luis Diaz, «particularly succeed in combining attractiveness with success. 113 goals in 31 games are exceptional. Not even the richest clubs in England can offer this in this form at the moment. One must acknowledge it without envy.»
The Croat, however, does not see the Westphalians’ full playing potential being utilized. «We have great footballers, great quality; we are playing close to our maximum this season. Nevertheless, I notice in daily work that we still have further development potential. Sometimes, however, certain things require time, which is practically non-existent nowadays,» Kovac said, adding, «You can build attractiveness on a foundation of stability – the reverse is rather more difficult. We work to be successful. No one has ever won titles by talking.»
According to Kovac, the club’s and fans’ yearning for their first championship since 2012 is not a problem for realizing financial goals. «BVB was close to the German championship in 2023 and reached the Champions League final in 2024. Of course, participation in the Champions League is enormously important economically, but this goal does not preclude further, additional objectives,» explained Kovac.
No Talent Development? Kovac Counters with Prominent Examples
Furthermore, Kovac defended himself against the accusation of not relying enough on his own talents. «I’ve also heard that I supposedly rely more on experience than most other coaches. But there’s a rather long list of young players who have developed very well under me and my coaching team in recent years and are currently doing so, before their respective clubs sold them expensively,» he said. As examples, he cited Luka Jovic and Aurelien Tchouameni from his previous stints in Frankfurt and Monaco.
He also relied on the young Felix Nmecha at VfL Wolfsburg, and Jobe Bellingham is «almost every week in the starting lineup» at BVB. However, the full truth is that Jobe Bellingham’s younger brother played a subordinate role in the first half of the season, which reportedly led to considerable unrest behind the scenes.
Kovac’s contract in Dortmund is valid until 2027, after he took over BVB in February 2025 and extended it early following a successful second half of the season.