Kovac sees positive change in team fortune as Dortmund begins a new era

New Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac believes his new team showed they have the quality to turn their season around after their displays during Mike Tullberg’s interim reign. 

Kovac was confirmed as Dortmund’s new boss last Sunday. He succeeds Nuri Sahin, who was relieved of his duties following a four-game losing run across all competitions. 

Interim coach Tullberg oversaw three matches, earning a draw and a victory in the Bundesliga while sealing the club’s progression to the Champions League playoff round. 

In his final game in charge, Dortmund beat Heidenheim 2-1 thanks to goals from Serhou Guirassy and Maximilian Beier, but they remain 11th in the Bundesliga table. 

Kovac’s first game in charge of BVB comes this Saturday, with Stuttgart visiting the Westfalenstadion in the Bundesliga. He is aiming to build on the club’s recent results. 

In an exclusive interview, Kovac revealed his side’s performance has been positive in the last three games.

“You can see that the team has been undergoing the necessary qualities. The team is really good for me,” He [Kovac] said.

“Wins are the ones that lift your confidence. You need that as a player, and what was is no longer critical. What is and what will be the most important thing

Dortmund remain in 11th place, with the next game at home to Stuttgart

Kovac most recently took charge of fellow Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg before being sacked in March last year after poor results. 

Indeed, Kovac has been winless in his last 11 Bundesliga games (drawn five, lost six, all with Wolfsburg), his longest drought as a Bundesliga coach.

However, eight of Dortmund’s last nine coaches were able to win their first league match in charge, with only interim boss Tullberg failing to do so (2-2 v Werder Bremen). 

Kovac does have a Bundesliga pedigree, having led Bayern Munich to the league title and DFB-Pokal in 2018-19. 

The 53-year-old acknowledged the difficulties of taking over Dortmund in the middle of the campaign and plans to instill confidence in the squad during his early tenure. 

It remains to be seen if Kovac will turn Dortmund’s fortunes around as he kicks off his tenure.