Kovac set for BVB extension? Now Ricken speaks out | OneFootball

After the strong start to the season, questions about the future are coming into focus at BVB. Lars Ricken is sending clear signals about his own future and that of Niko Kovac.

Borussia Dortmund will face important personnel decisions in the coming months. Both sporting director Lars Ricken and head coach Niko Kovac are under contract only until the summer of 2027. While concrete negotiations apparently have not yet taken place, Ricken has now made it clear that he can envision continuing to work with BVB.

“It’s no secret that I’m excited about the challenges at Borussia Dortmund,” the 50-year-old said on the sidelines of the Bundesliga match at VfB Stuttgart (1–0). He said the past two years had not always been easy for him. Ricken referred to numerous difficult decisions, but is now mainly looking ahead: “Now I’m excited about the future.” Even so, the former BVB professional does not feel any time pressure.

For the time being, the transfer window had been the main focus at the Ruhr club. After that, there should be an opportunity to address the open contract issues. In addition to Ricken, other members of the executive board also no longer have long-term contracts. Niko Kovac’s situation also appears to be closely tied to Ricken’s future. According to the sporting director, talks about an extension with the coach have not yet taken place.

BVB future: Ricken full of praise for Niko Kovac

However, Ricken describes the relationship between the two in extremely positive terms. “A real relationship of trust and great mutual appreciation has developed between Niko and me,” he said. When Sky presenter Sebastian Hellmann jokingly remarked that Kovac could also sign shortly after Ricken’s extension, the executive reacted quite openly: “That could definitely make sense.”

Photo: IMAGO

From a sporting perspective, Kovac has recently delivered arguments in favor of continuing the partnership. Dortmund made a strong start to the Bundesliga season and, even after reshaping the squad, has already shown promising signs. Even so, Ricken does not believe the team has reached the end of its development. “In every game, you could see that we still have room for improvement,” he stated.

That means the focus at BVB is likely to turn first to Ricken’s own future. After that, a decision on Kovac could also follow. So far, however, both sides have made it clear that they see no reason to rush the upcoming talks.

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