Latest news with #NuriSahin
New York Times
17-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Dortmund qualify for Champions League on dramatic final day of Bundesliga season
Borussia Dortmund have qualified for next season's Champions League on a dramatic final day of the Bundesliga. Dortmund had been outside the Bundesliga's top-four since the third game of the season but a 3-0 home victory over Holstein Kiel on Saturday, combined with Freiburg's 3-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt, ensured Niko Kovac's side finished fourth and will return to European football's premier club competition in 2025-26. Advertisement For a long time that had looked extremely unlikely. Dortmund started the season with Nuri Sahin, who replaced Edin Terzic as head coach in June 2024. Dortmund won just seven league games under his charge, though, and did not record their first away victory of the Bundesliga season until December 2024, at Wolfsburg. It was a disaster and Sahin, whose only previous head-coaching experience had been two years with Antalyaspor in Turkey, was lucky to survive into the new year. After four straight defeats in January, the last of which came against Bologna in the Champions League, Sahin was dismissed with the team in 11th place in the Bundesliga. He was replaced two weeks later by Kovac, who had previously worked for Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern Munich, Monaco and Wolfsburg. Announcing the decision, Lars Ricken, the club's CEO for sport, made reference to the frailty of the side and his hope that Kovac could toughen a team that had become much too fragile. 'Energy, determination and the importance of the team spirit have always distinguished Niko's teams,' Ricken said on announcing the appointment. 'We want to feel and see all of this on and off the pitch.' More or less, that is what happened. While Kovac and Dortmund initially took time to adapt to one another, with the Croatian, 53, favouring a more pragmatic, counter-attacking style. He suffered poor defeats to Stuttgart, Bochum and Augsburg during his first month in charge, and also suffered a disappointing loss to RB Leipzig in March. But Dortmund would not lose again domestically all season. And while nobody would have guessed it that day, Leipzig would be the ones to miss on the Champions League places and European football entirely, finishing a disappointing 7th. Kovac's players remained unbeaten in their remaining eight games, winning seven — including away to Bayer Leverkusen and Freiburg — and gaining a creditable 2-2 draw with champions Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena. Advertisement Characterising their resurgence has been a significant uplift in their efficiency in front of goal, the quality of the chances they have been creating, but also their running statistics. Kovac inherited a team who had run the 14th-furthest distance in the league through the first 18 games and had completed the 14th most sprints. Against Leverkusen, on matchday 33, no team in the league ran more than Dortmund's 121.5km. There has been plenty of individual improvement. Karim Adeyemi has played some of his best football of the season during that final eight-game stretch, with Serhou Guirassy scoring in each of his last five appearances. Dortmund have also benefitted from Felix Nmecha's return from long-term injury, and the return to form of Niklas Sule and Waldemar Anton in defence, compensating for the loss of Nico Schlotterbeck to serious injury in April. And the reward will be a place at Europe's top table next season, despite a year of turmoil and uncertainty. Beyond the coaching changes, Dortmund have had to survive a contract saga concerning Sebastian Kehl, which dragged on for many months. Kehl eventually committed his future to the club, but Sven Mislintat, the former head scout with whom Kehl experienced a difficult relationship, departed in February, sacked less than a year after returning to the club. There will be more upheaval. Hans-Joachim Watzke, who has been the club's CEO since 2005, will bring an era to an end by leaving his role this summer, after 20 years in charge of the club. But the transition will now be easier than it might have been. Dortmund will take part in this summer's Club World Cup, where they will face Fluminense, Ulsan, and Mamelodi Sundowns in the United States, before planning for their first full season under Kovac, with the crucial support of Champions League revenue. ()
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kovac backed by Ricken after inconsistent start as Dortmund coach
A four-match unbeaten run came to an end for Borussia Dortmund on Saturday as they went down to a disappointing 0-1 defeat against Augsburg. Having lost three of his first nine games in charge of Borussia Dortmund since taking over from Nuri Sahin in February, Niko Kovac has already faced his fair share of criticism. But Dortmund managing director for sport Lars Ricken is backing the Croatian coach, insisting he needs time. "Niko Kovac can't make this inconsistency, which unfortunately already existed under Edin Terzic and Nuri Sahin, disappear within a few weeks," Ricken told Bild. "There has already been an upward trend under Niko. You could see that in the 3-0 win in Lisbon, the 2-0 win against Pauli and the 6-0 win against Union. It's definitely not down to the coach," he continued. After a 1-1 draw in the first leg, Borussia Dortmund will now head to Lille for the return leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, and Ricken is expecting a reaction from the players. "The whole team is called upon to finally show fighting spirit and an irrepressible will to win on Wednesday in Lille, then against Leipzig, Mainz and Freiburg, and not just for one half like in the first leg against Lille, but until the referee blows the final whistle."
Reuters
30-01-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Dortmund sign Kovac as new manager
Jan 30 (Reuters) - Borussia Dortmund have signed Niko Kovac as their new manager after parting ways with Nuri Sahin last week, the Bundesliga club said on Thursday. Kovac, who has previously coached Dortmund's rivals Bayern Munich, has signed a contract until June 2026.
BBC News
29-01-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Dortmund set to appoint Kovac as head coach
Borussia Dortmund are set to appoint Niko Kovac as the club's new head Bundesliga club sacked Nuri Sahin last week after their Champions League loss at Bologna was a disappointing fourth successive 53, has been out of work since departing Wolfsburg in March last year."We have reached an agreement in principle with Niko Kovac, he will take over the team on Sunday," Dortmund's managing director Lars Ricken told broadcaster was speaking before Dortmund secured progress to the Champions League play-off round with a 3-1 home win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday Croatia international Kovac has also had coaching spells at Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern Munich and Monaco since managing his country between coach Mike Tullberg, who stepped up from the club's under-19 team following Sahin's sacking, will take charge when Dortmund visit Heidenheim in the Bundesliga on are 11th in the German top-flight with seven wins from their 19 league games this season.
Reuters
29-01-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Kovac to take over as Dortmund coach after Champions League progression
DORTMUND, Germany, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Croatian coach Niko Kovac is set to take over Borussia Dortmund following a 3-1 home win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday saw them advance to the Champions League playoffs. The Ruhr valley side fired coach Nuri Sahin a week ago after a run of poor results and shortly after kick-off German media reported that Kovac, who has played and managed in the Bundesliga, is waiting in the wings to take over. "We have reached an agreement in principle with Nico Kovac, he will take over the team on Sunday," managing director Lars Ricken told broadcaster DAZN. Interim coach Mike Tullberg, who stepped up from the club's Under-19 side after the sacking of Sahin, will be at the helm when Dortmund visit Heidenheim in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Dortmund had not won a game this year but two first-half goals from Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy and a late Ramy Bensebaini effort wrapped up the victory against Shakhtar and 10th spot in the Champions League table on 15 points. The German side finished among the seeded teams and will now face either Belgium's Club Brugge or Sporting of Portugal in a two-legged playoff with a place in the last 16 at stake.
