Niko Kovač relishing Eintracht Frankfurt return in DFB Pokal clash: “It’s my footballing home” | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovač is eagerly anticipating a return to Eintracht Frankfurt’s Deutsche Bank Park, as his Black & Yellows travel Main side for their DFB Pokal second round meeting – arguably the biggest fixture at the competition’s current stage.

Incidentally, Kovač, whose first managerial gig in Germany was as head coach for Die Adler, took Eintracht to consecutive DFB Pokal finals in 2017 and 2018 after signing on in March 2016. The first; he lost 2-1 to current club Dortmund, whilst the second saw him bring cup glory to Frankfurt after defeating Bayern Munich – his future employer – 3-1 in a memorable final in the German capital.

Looking forward to revisiting the old stomping ground, Deutsche Bank Park, Kovač professed his excitement in his pre-match press conference:

“I’m traveling to Frankfurt with a great feeling – it was my first coaching position in the Bundesliga. I’m a lifelong member, so of course I’m happy to return; it’s my footballing home. But, at the same time, I’m the coach of BVB, and I want to win the match against my old love.”

However, the Croatian was sure to reaffirm his awareness that he’s there to do a job – and not a particularly easy one at that. Recognising the quality of the opposition, he acknowledged: “They’ve scored a lot of goals in the Bundesliga, but they’ve also conceded quite a few – including in the Champions League.

“It’s a tough away match against a very strong opponent. But if you want to reach the final, you have to beat whoever is in front of you, wherever you play. We want to win, and we know how difficult it will be.”

Nevertheless, Kovač showed unwavering confidence in his team, adding: “Still, that advantage doesn’t mean we don’t have a chance – on the contrary. I think my team has shown in recent games, and throughout this season, that we have quality no matter who’s on the pitch. We definitely want to progress, and we need to impose our game from the first minute – and maybe all the way to the 120th.”

After shedding light on the injury situations of Julien Duranville and Emre Can, where Kovač indicated they would be unlikely to make their returns “until after the international break”, and that he “[needs] players who are 100 per cent fit”, Dortmund’s gaffer reiterated once more that his eyes were firmly on the prize, declaring: “Every team wants to go to Berlin, and so do we.”

GGFN | Sam Carey