“The fans are not happy”: Bundesliga icon warns BVB boss Kovac | OneFootball

Despite finishing as runners-up, there is still no great sense of euphoria at Borussia Dortmund. Former Germany international Thomas Helmer has criticized the style of play under BVB coach Niko Kovac and warns of a difficult transition.

Borussia Dortmund may have finished the 2025/26 Bundesliga season as runners-up, but former Germany international Thomas Helmer still sees several problem areas at BVB. The team’s style of play under coach Niko Kovac in particular appears to be a cause for skepticism for the former Dortmund player.

“The fans are not happy because the team is not playing attractive football,” Helmer said in an interview with LeoVegas. Dortmund may have produced decent results on the pitch, but in the end they still finished a clear 16 points behind champions Bayern Munich.

Despite his criticism, Helmer credited the BVB coach with doing a good job. “That’s why they finished second,” said the 1996 European champion, referring to the team’s consistent results in the league. At the same time, however, he made it clear that the football played by the Black and Yellows had failed to convince many supporters.

Thomas Helmer criticizes BVB’s Champions League exit

Helmer was particularly disappointed by Dortmund’s performances on the international stage. Their elimination from the Champions League against Atalanta Bergamo came as a surprise. “The exit was unexpected,” the former defender emphasized. The early DFB-Pokal exit against Bayer Leverkusen had also caused dissatisfaction at the club.

Photo: IMAGO

For the coming season, Helmer expects major changes to BVB’s squad. “There will be many changes,” he predicted. Dortmund will need to strengthen their squad in order to remain competitive at the highest level in the future. “They need to bring in many new players to reach the same level in the Champions League again next year. That will be very difficult.”

Helmer also spoke about a possible return for Jadon Sancho. The former fan favorite knows the club and its environment extremely well and remains popular in Germany. However, Helmer was not entirely convinced that bringing the Englishman back would be the right move. “I’m not sure if it would be the right decision for Borussia Dortmund.”

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