Kovac hits back at criticism: BVB boss stays calm | OneFootball

After recent mixed performances by BVB, coach Niko Kovac addresses the emerging criticism. While acknowledging a lack of precision, he warns against exaggerated reactions from outside.

Borussia Dortmund's coach Niko Kovac believes his team is on the right track, even though critical voices have recently increased. Following the 1:4 loss in the Champions League against Manchester City and the 1:1 draw in the Bundesliga against Hamburger SV, the coach admits to "potential for improvement" in an interview with kicker, but does not want to spark a fundamental debate.

Kovac mainly attributes the current weaker phase in the offense to technical inaccuracies. The processes that regularly worked last season are not being executed consistently enough at the moment. Precision, especially in the final third, has been lost: "It's about inaccurate passing, ball control, ball handling. Many details in and around the penalty area are not as clean as they were last season."

From Kovac's perspective, the team rarely finds itself in dangerous finishing situations – an issue that also surfaced during the draw in Hamburg. There, BVB created too little to decide the game early.

No Activism: BVB Coach Kovac Calls for Calm from Outside

At the same time, the coach warns against overreactions and emphasizes that he can assess the expectations at BVB. He doesn't want to overvalue criticism: "If we were eleventh in the table, we wouldn't be discussing whether our football is attractive enough. It would be about the A-grade: the results." It is crucial not to be driven by external discussions: "For me as a coach, it's important not to let external debates drive me or fall into activism because of them," he explained. "I don't question everything that was good before just because of a draw in Hamburg."

The experience from his long career helps him deal with external pressure. He no longer takes criticism personally, said Kovac, who consciously avoids social media: "What is written there will eventually consume you if you're not careful."

Despite the recent results, the Dortmund coach draws a positive interim conclusion. The team has gained "consistency and stability" in recent months, scored many goals, and mostly convinced defensively. Even though the balance has shifted somewhat recently, he sees BVB on a good path – and wants to continue this consistently.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.