Niko Kovač has every reason to be thrilled with his achievements as Borussia Dortmund head coach thus far.The 54-year-old, who has extended his contract...
Kovač can genuinely revel in what he’s achieved at Dortmund so far.
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The 54-year-old, who has extended his contract with the club until 2029, has won 35 of his 53 Bundesliga matches in charge of BVB, averaging more points per game than any other coach in the club’s history.
Most importantly, he has restored the five-time Bundesliga winners – who sat 11th in the table when he took charge in February 2025, following a fifth-place finish the previous campaign – as Bayern Munich’s fiercest rivals for Germany’s top-flight crown.
Watch:Kovač extends Dortmund contract
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Early 2026 his side closed to Bayern, cutting the gap to three points after beating Wolfsburg in February.
Three weeks later Bayern clinched a wild Klassiker 3-2, making their lead look untouchable, yet Kovač stayed upbeat in the post‑match press conference.
“I must praise my players for their performance,” he said. “They fought hard and deserve strong credit.
“Bayern are world‑class, but we delivered a solid show and held our ground,” he added.
Kovač took pride in his squad’s effort against Bayern in February’s Klassiker. – IMAGO/Maximilian Koch
Some might settle for merely matching Kompany’s attacking side, but I think Kovač’s standards are far higher.
“Just holding our own” no longer satisfies us.
“We’re not happy with what we’ve done,” he declared after signing the extension on Tuesday. “Huge potential lies ahead and we can achieve much more.
“A clear development path has begun and vital foundations are set. We intend to build on that,” he noted.
His optimism isn’t misplaced; a quick look at Dortmund’s 2026/27 roster—one of the Bundesliga’s youngest—shows few flaws.
Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel recorded more clean sheets than any other keeper in 2025/26, while Ramy Bensebaini, Waldemar Anton and Nico Schlotterbeck anchored the strongest defence last season.
Summer arrivals included 19‑year‑old Joane Gadou, a highly‑rated defender whose maturity exceeded his age after moving from Salzburg.
Anton and Schlotterbeck were key to a backline that conceded fewer goals than any other Bundesliga side in 2025/26. – IMAGO/HMB Media/Madeleine Fantini
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Players like Samuele Inácio, Konstantinos Karetsas, Filippo Mane and Mathis Albert add a fresh burst of youthful talent to Kovač’s squad.
It’s easy to feel upbeat.
After five matches Dortmund sit two points ahead of Bayern. Without Bremen’s late comeback on Friday they would be four points clear of the Bavarians and two ahead of leaders Freiburg, boasting a possible 15 points from five games.
Can Dortmund maintain this edge and challenge for the title as the season unfolds?
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Keeping Bayern at arms length between now and May is another matter, of course – as evidenced by their Franz Beckenbauer Supercup victory at Signal Iduna Park in August – but Kovač believes his side are on the cusp of something big.
“We have really made a good jump from 11th to fourth to second,” he told the Bundesliga earlier this month. “Currently we are where we are.
“We have many talented players who want to achieve something, who want to leave a footprint. That continuity is important, that you improve there step by step.
“You need time, you don’t really have that much time in our business, but it can help. We’ve seen that in the past with many good teams. I hope that we will see that here in Dortmund as well.”
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