‘The right coach at BVB’: legendary manager defends Kovac | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund impresses in terms of results, but the playing style under Niko Kovac continues to spark debate. Now, a legendary coach is clearly backing the BVB manager.

Despite strong results, criticism of Borussia Dortmund’s playing style has not subsided. As second in the Bundesliga table, with only one loss in 20 games and a comfortable lead over their pursuers, BVB under Niko Kovac offers convincing arguments, especially in terms of results. Nevertheless, Dortmund’s football is often accused of lacking attractiveness.

This is precisely where Kovac himself steps in, describing his work by distinguishing between the A and B scores. While the results—the A score—are right and can even compete with historical benchmarks, the playing element is seen by many observers as having room for improvement. Some fans miss speed, risk, and excitement on the pitch, even though BVB is among the strongest home teams in the league.

Kovac is now receiving support from an absolute club icon. Ottmar Hitzfeld, who led Borussia Dortmund to great successes, is demonstratively standing behind the current coach. “From my perspective as a coach, Niko is fulfilling the expectations at BVB very well. He has stabilized the team and got them back on track,” the 77-year-old told Sport Bild.

Hitzfeld publicly backs BVB coach Kovac

He also praised Kovac’s leadership style: “With his open manner and positive mentality, he is the right coach for BVB.” Hitzfeld knows the Croatian from their time together at FC Bayern Munich, where the current BVB coach played under him in the early 2000s. This personal experience also shapes his assessment of the current situation. Dortmund is a club under enormous public pressure, Hitzfeld emphasized—especially when results aren’t going their way.

Ultimately, there remains a tension between expectations and reality: while the bare numbers are hard to criticize and BVB is even competing points-wise with Jürgen Klopp’s first championship season, the playing style continues to be closely scrutinized. With the clear backing of a coaching legend, however, Niko Kovac now receives prominent support—and time to work on the much-discussed B score.

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