Kovac signs a contract at the club until 2026 and will take charge of the club from Sunday. Current interim head coach Mike Tullberg, who is the under-19 coach, will be in charge of their game against Heidenheim on Saturday. Kovac will then be presented at a press conference next week with his first game in charge set to be against VfB Stuttgart before a UCL Playoff against either Club Brugge or Sporting.
Sky Germany reports that Niko’s brother Robert will be a part of his coaching staff. Robert Kovac has followed his brother throughout his managerial career as the older Kovac has managed Croatia, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern Munich, Monaco and Wolfsburg.
Kovac said: “The talks with Lars Ricken were very constructive, and the willingness to work hard to represent Dortmund in the best possible way in the Bundesliga, the UCL and in the Club World Cup in the summer.”