Interview at the start of training: Kovac wants to “squeeze out a few more percentage points” | OneFootball

After the start of preseason training, the BVB coach also spoke about his first impressions of training, his take on the new signings, and his goals. He also reveals where he sees specific room for improvement in his rejuvenated team.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how ready and fired up are you for the new season? “After eight weeks of vacation, it’s absolutely clear that we’re 100 percent ready and that we’re at a 10 on the scale. We’re looking forward to our sport again, to our profession. We want to get back in the game, we want to train again, we want to be successful again. And that’s why we’re glad we’re all back together!”

What kind of season do you think is in store now that it’s starting? Last season we finished in second place and racked up a whopping 73 points. Where’s there still room for improvement? “As a coach, you’re never satisfied. If you break it down by the three competitions we had, you can be satisfied with the Bundesliga season. In the two cup competitions—the Champions League and the DFB Cup—we have room for improvement. We certainly want to perform better there than we did last year. Every single player can improve—technically, tactically, and physically. So we’re not done yet, especially since we now have so many young players on the team. The progress we’ve made has been very, very good. And yet we can still squeeze out a few more percentage points.”

Carsten Cramer recently said in an interview: “We’re approaching the season with ambition, without committing to a specific league position just yet. And at the same time, we need to give it time because we’re getting younger.” Where do Joane Gadou, Justin Lerma, and Kaua Prates—who’ve just arrived here—stand? “First of all, I don’t want to contradict my boss; he’s absolutely right. Soccer is about continuity, stability, and development. All three are foreign players coming to Germany, who are naturally entering a completely different environment. That’s why we have to give the lads time to acclimate, integrate, and grow into the team here. And BVB has been known for the past few decades for giving these players those opportunities. And that’s what we want, too. We want to be successful with good, talented young players. I agree with Carsten Cramer—there will always be ups and downs. If that happens, we have to be a little forgiving.”

A year ago, you talked about unity—how important it is to reach your goals faster when everyone pulls together. But now the preparation is completely different. How easy or difficult is it to foster that unity when you don’t really know the team’s makeup that well yet? “The lads who were already here know exactly what we focus on, what we need to be successful as a team and as a club. We’ll integrate the new players quickly. In soccer, that actually happens relatively quickly and very easily. We’ll have to wait a little while longer for the first World Cup players to return, so that the young players can get to know these stars who were at the World Cup—and then learn to love and appreciate them. But we’ll make it happen. We managed it last year in those three weeks. Now we’ll manage it in the six or three weeks once the national team players are back. As always, I’m very confident!”