Reunion with his old club: BVB coach Kovac on his time at HSV | OneFootball

Niko Kovac wore the jersey of Hamburger SV for two seasons. On Saturday (March 21, 6:30 PM), the head coach of Borussia Dortmund will face his former club in the Bundesliga. "I have many fond memories of that time," the 54-year-old fondly recalls his stint by the Elbe and Alster.

Kovac played a total of 73 matches for HSV. His record includes 13 goals and five assists. But it's not just the bare numbers that the football coach associates with his appearances for the Rothosen. "I had a wonderful time at HSV and felt very comfortable in Hamburg: a great city and a big club," he says in an interview with the HSV.de editorial team. And far more importantly: "My daughter was born in Hamburg."

With the former Bundesliga dinosaur, Kovac also succeeded on the European stage. In the 2000/01 season, he made six appearances in the Champions League for HSV. One match remains particularly memorable for him. On the first matchday of the group stage, the North Germans engaged in a thrilling duel with Juventus Turin. After a dramatic 90 minutes, the scoreboard at the Volksparkstadion showed a 4:4 draw. Kovac temporarily put his team ahead 4:3.

Drama in the Champions League

The duel with Italy's record champion is "one of the most defining and exciting" of his career, Kovac still enthuses today. "Not just because of the result, but also the incredible atmosphere surrounding the game. I always like to think back to this match and will never forget it." However, since Hamburg only finished third in the group, they were relegated to the UEFA Cup and were eliminated in the 3rd round after two defeats to AS Roma.

Photo: Getty Images

He observes the development of his former club with goodwill. "As a promoted team, HSV is having a good season so far and will also look for their chance against us," Kovac is convinced. "I expect us to face a compact, well-organized defensive opponent, similar to the first leg."

In the match in Hamburg, BVB looked like the sure winner for a long time after a goal by Carney Chukwuemeka (22). But in the seventh minute of stoppage time, Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer (24) managed to equalize at 1:1.

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