Borussia Dortmund’s Lars Ricken discusses Der Klassiker, Niko Kovač and more | OneFootball

Speaking ahead of Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga clash against Bayern Munich, BVB managing director Lars Ricken discussed the upcoming Klassiker, Niko Kovač and more.

The 49-year-old admitted to meeting with Bayern higher-ups last season, attributing his dinner invitations to Dortmund’s perceived weakness. He told Bild: “Those were very friendly meetings, but that was also due to the fact that Bayern didn’t see us as rivals last season due to our performance. We have to earn the friction again.”

Dortmund have turned things around from last season’s shortcomings rather drastically under the guidance of head coach Kovač. A run of 14 Bundesliga games unbeaten, tracing back to mid-March, has seen the club firmly re-establish itself as Germany’s second-best side.

Attributing much of the team’s success to Kovač, Ricken hit back at the bemusement from some at extending the former Croatian international’s contract until 2027: “That was quite strange. At first, I was criticized for even signing him. After he sensationally led us to the Champions League, suddenly it wasn’t happening quickly enough for me to extend his contract. And now it’s supposedly too soon.”

With Dortmund unbeaten and four points off a perfect Bayern, Ricken spoke about the two clubs’ shared responsibility in representing German football: “You have to be honest: Internationally, in the Champions League, Bayern and we shoulder the heavy burden of the Bundesliga. No other club represents the premier league as much as these two.”

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