End of the rivalry? BVB boss Kovac responds to Kruse invitation | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund's coach Niko Kovac responds to Max Kruse's podcast invitation. He is open to a conversation – but with a clear condition.

The conflict between Niko Kovac and Max Kruse has been simmering for years – now there might actually be a resolution. Kruse had invited his former coach to his podcast "Flatterball," which he runs with ex-professional Martin Harnik. The 37-year-old explained there: "We need to invite Kovac now. This needs to be settled at some point. I'm up for confrontation."

Kovac responded to the invitation after his BVB's 1-0 victory over VfL Wolfsburg. The Dortmund coach showed willingness to talk, but made a clear statement to BILD at the same time: "I will certainly not go anywhere. Max and I can talk directly. I'm definitely willing to do that. But we won't do it publicly. We are adults and will handle it internally, as it should be."

The roots of the dispute go back to the Wolfsburg period in 2022. Under Kovac, Kruse only made five appearances before the club terminated his contract in November. The relationship broke down completely when Kruse accused his coach of poor handling of outspoken players. In a later interview, he even described the Croatian as a "character disaster."

BVB coach Kovac makes it clear: No public discussion with Kruse

An episode also became known where Kruse allegedly fell asleep during a meeting with Kovac. Later, the striker continued to jab at his ex-coach regularly. After a Dortmund defeat in Bochum, he mocked on Instagram: "Oh, Niko Kovac. Oh, Niko Kovac. NONSENSE."

Despite this history, Kruse now signals that he is interested in a factual discussion: "I believe that it can be done on a factual level, where you discuss and maybe don't always agree. I want to try to understand his perspective on things."

Niko Kovac, on the other hand, does not want to carry out the feud through podcasts or cameras. Everything indicates that he prefers a face-to-face conversation or at least a phone call. Whether Max Kruse is willing to forgo the public stage remains open. It is now up to him whether the years-long dispute can truly be settled.

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