Niko Kovač hungry for more at Borussia Dortmund after signing new contract
Niko Kovač has every reason to be thrilled with his achievements as Borussia Dortmund head coach thus far.
The 54-year-old, who has extended his contract with the club until 2029, has won 35 of his 53 Bundesliga matches in charge of BVB, averaging more points per game than any other coach in the club’s history.
Most importantly, he has restored the five-time Bundesliga winners - who sat 11th in the table when he took charge in February 2025, following a fifth-place finish the previous campaign - as Bayern Munich's fiercest rivals for Germany’s top-flight crown.
Watch: Kovač leading Dortmund’s rebuild
Kovač’s charges were breathing heavily down Bayern’s necks in early 2026, reducing the gap to just three points with victory over Wolfsburg in February.
It was not until the Bavarians prevailed in a frenetic Klassiker three weeks later that their lead at the top started to appear insurmountable, but Kovač was far from downbeat as he addressed reporters in the aftermath of that 3-2 reverse.
“I want to compliment my players for their display,” he said. “We put up a really good fight and they deserve great credit.
“We know Bayern Munich are world class. We put in a really good performance and held our own.”
Standing up to Vincent Kompany’s star-studded, free-scoring side might be enough for some. But Kovač, as proud as he is of his team’s efforts since his appointment, is far from satisfied.
Merely “holding our own” is no longer enough.
“The key thing is that we’re not pleased with what we’ve achieved,” he said after signing his contract extension on Tuesday. “We see great potential and firmly believe we can achieve a lot more.
“We’ve started a clear development and laid important foundations for the future. We want to build on that.”
Kovač’s optimism is not misplaced. A closer inspection of Dortmund’s first-team squad - one of the youngest in the Bundesliga in 2026/27 - reveals few weaknesses.
Gregor Kobel kept more clean sheets than any other Bundesliga goalkeeper in 2025/26, while Ramy Bensebaini, Waldemar Anton and Nico Schlotterbeck formed the strongest defence in Germany’s top flight last term.
They were joined over the summer by one of the game’s most promising young defenders in 19-year-old Joane Gadou, who has shown maturity well beyond his years since swapping Salzburg for Dortmund.
On the flanks, Julian Ryerson racked up more assists than any other player apart from Michael Olise last term, while only Hoffenheim’s Vladimír Coufal registered more intensive runs than the tireless Daniel Svensson - scorer of BVB’s second goal against Werder Bremen on Matchday 5.
The heart of Dortmund’s midfield is also looking more formidable with each passing week. Jobe Bellingham and Felix Nmecha have formed a close bond on and off the pitch, but the industry of summer signing Joey Veerman is likely to prove invaluable in Borussia’s three-pronged hunt for honours this season.
Up front, Serhou Guirassy and Fabio Silva have combined to devastating effect in Bundesliga victories over Hoffenheim and Paderborn, as well as in the UEFA Champions League success over Villarreal in September.
Watch: Dortmund’s new dream duo
And in Samuele Inácio, Konstantinos Karetsas, Filippo Mane and Mathis Albert - to name but a few - Kovać’s squad also has a generous sprinkling of some of world football’s most exciting young starlets.
Who can blame him for being optimistic?
Dortmund sit two points clear of Bayern after Matchday 5 this season. Had it not been for Bremen’s late salvage operation on Friday, they would be four points clear of the Bavarians - and two above current leaders Freiburg - with a maximum 15 points from five games.
Watch: Dortmund 2-2 Bremen - highlights
Keeping Bayern at arms length between now and May is another matter, of course - as evidenced by their Franz Beckenbauer Supercup victory at Signal Iduna Park in August - but Kovač believes his side are on the cusp of something big.
“We have really made a good jump from 11th to fourth to second,” he told the Bundesliga earlier this month. “Currently we are where we are.
“We have many talented players who want to achieve something, who want to leave a footprint. That continuity is important, that you improve there step by step.
“You need time, you don't really have that much time in our business, but it can help. We've seen that in the past with many good teams. I hope that we will see that here in Dortmund as well.”
