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Borussia Dortmund extended the contract of its Croatian coach, Niko Kovac, yesterday, Tuesday, for two additional seasons, keeping him in his position until the summer of 2029.
The club's sporting director, Lars Ricken, said in a statement: "Since Niko Kovac took charge a little over a year and a half ago, we have been on the right track with him. He has consistently continued to develop the team's performance and is highly regarded within our club."
Ricken added that the contract extension represents "a clear signal of continuity and stability."
For his part, the 54-year-old Kovac said, "We have started a clear path of development together and have laid important foundations for the future. We want to build on what we have achieved so far."
Dortmund had signed Turkish-German Nuri Sahin at the beginning of the summer of 2024, following two seasons under the leadership of Croatian Edin Terzic, which saw the team finish second in the Bundesliga after losing the title on the final matchday, in addition to losing the 2024 Champions League final.
However, Sahin, a former Dortmund player, was dismissed in late January 2025 due to declining results, with Kovac succeeding him at the beginning of February of the same year.
The Croatian coach was initially appointed on a contract extending until the summer of 2026, before the club renewed his contract for the first time in late August 2025, to continue until the end of the 2026-2027 season.
During the second half of his first season, Kovac managed with difficulty to lead Dortmund to secure a qualification spot for the 2025-2026 Champions League.
Last season, he led the team to second place in the Bundesliga, 16 points behind champions Bayern Munich, after the latter collected 89 points compared to Dortmund's 73.
Despite losing 1-2 to Bayern in the German Super Cup in late August, Dortmund regained its balance, achieving six victories and one draw in various competitions, including four wins in the Bundesliga, one in the Champions League, and another in the German Cup.
Dortmund currently occupies second place in the league with 13 points, two points ahead of Bayern Munich, after five rounds.
The German team will be a guest of Norway's Bodo/Glimt on Wednesday in northern Norway, as part of the second round of the Champions League league phase.
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