Borussia Dortmund have extended head coach Niko Kovac’s contract by one year, keeping him at the club until June 2027, the Bundesliga side confirmed on Tuesday.
Kovac, 53, arrived in January 2025 on an 18-month deal with Dortmund languishing in 11th place.
The former Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt boss endured a rocky start, with the team dropping as low as 13th, but masterminded a remarkable turnaround by winning 22 of their final 24 points.
The late surge secured a fourth-place finish and qualification for the Champions League.
“With honest work, clear decisions and great enthusiasm, we want to help Borussia Dortmund return to our former strength,” Kovac said in a club statement. “We still have a lot to do together.”
Sporting director Sebastian Kehl praised the Croatian’s impact:
“Niko approaches every game with conviction, intensity and passion. We believe together we can continue the successful path of last season’s final spurt.”
Kovac’s Track Record
Kovac has built a reputation as a hard-nosed disciplinarian with an emphasis on fitness and work rate.
He first rose to prominence as manager of Eintracht Frankfurt, leading them to a shock German Cup triumph in 2018.
That success earned him the Bayern Munich job, where he won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in 2018/19 before being dismissed the following season.
He later managed AS Monaco before returning to Germany with Dortmund earlier this year.
As a player, the Berlin-born coach represented Croatia 83 times, scoring 14 goals, and featured for Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen and Hamburg.
Early Pressure This Season
Despite the new deal, Kovac faces immediate challenges, Dortmund began the new Bundesliga campaign with a frustrating 3-3 draw at St. Pauli, throwing away a 3-1 lead and conceding twice in the final minutes after being reduced to 10 men.
Dortmund will be looking for greater consistency as they aim to close the gap on Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, while also competing strongly in the UEFA Champions League.