BVB wanted this global star as new manager instead of Niko Kovac | OneFootball

Currently, Niko Kovac and his team are riding an impressive wave of success. Unbeaten in 13 Bundesliga matches, with eleven wins among them, BVB is finally achieving the long-missed consistency under his leadership. However, it has now come to light that the Borussia Dortmund management originally intended to appoint a different, more prominent coach as Nuri Sahin’s successor.

There was no shortage of critical voices when Niko Kovac was introduced as the new coach of Borussia Dortmund. Many claimed he lacked the ability to develop a team. His previous tenures mostly ended in the second year because no progress was evident, it was said. Moreover, he was seen primarily as a proponent of discipline and hard work, rather than high-level football artistry and (offensive) spectacle, which for a long time was part of Borussia Dortmund’s identity.

Within BVB’s management, there was apparently a different idea than Kovac, who had previously coached in the Bundesliga at Eintracht Frankfurt, FC Bayern Munich, and VfL Wolfsburg, and before that was Croatia’s national coach. According to Spox, Borussia Dortmund had made contact with Xavi, who was head coach of FC Barcelona from 2021 to 2024.

At the same club, he had excelled as a player, shaping the Catalans’ game between 1998 and 2015 and collecting numerous titles, along with the 2010 World Cup title and two European Championship triumphs in 2008 and 2012 with the Spanish national team. Since 2024, however, Xavi has been without a coaching job, which is why BVB reached out to the former central midfielder.

Photo: Getty Images

After Initial Talks, Xavi Declines

When Lars Ricken put the luckless Nuri Sahin on leave in January, there was reportedly contact with Xavi, according to Spox citing Bild newspaper. Xavi had signaled fundamental interest, and there had even been discussions about specific transfers to improve the squad.

However, the talks did not progress beyond this stage, as Xavi distanced himself from the idea of taking a coaching position in the Bundesliga. The reasons why Xavi ultimately decided against Borussia Dortmund have already been explained here.

Such a report would not be beneficial for Niko Kovac’s standing in Dortmund if he were not delivering results. But since everything is currently going brilliantly for BVB, it is likely to remain just a footnote in the fast-moving world of football.

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