Niko Kovač facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Niko Kovač

Kovač in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Niko Kovač
Date of birth	(1971-10-15) 15 October 1971 (age 53)
Place of birth	West Berlin, West Germany
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team	Borussia Dortmund (manager)
Youth career
1987–1989	Rapide Wedding
1989–1990	Hertha Zehlendorf
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1990–1991	Hertha Zehlendorf	25	(7)
1991	Hertha BSC II	12	(1)
1992–1996	Hertha BSC	138	(15)
1996–1999	Bayer Leverkusen	77	(8)
1999–2001	Hamburger SV	55	(12)
2001–2003	Bayern Munich	34	(3)
2003–2006	Hertha BSC	75	(8)
2006–2009	Red Bull Salzburg	65	(9)
Total		491	(63)
International career
1996–2008	Croatia	83	(14)
Managerial career
2012–2013	Croatia U21
2013–2015	Croatia
2016–2018	Eintracht Frankfurt
2018–2019	Bayern Munich
2020–2022	Monaco
2022–2024	VfL Wolfsburg
2025–	Borussia Dortmund
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Niko Kovač (born on October 15, 1971) is a well-known football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund.

Niko grew up in West Germany and was the long-time captain of the Croatian national team. He played as a defensive midfielder, known for his excellent passing and tackling skills. When he retired from international football in 2009, he was the oldest player in the Croatian squad. He led his team as captain in major tournaments like the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2008.

He also had a successful club career, playing for many years in the German Bundesliga. Some of the famous clubs he played for include Hertha BSC, Bayer Leverkusen, Hamburger SV, and Bayern Munich.

After ending his playing career with Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg, he became a coach. He started by coaching the reserve team and then became an assistant manager. In 2013, Kovač took over the Croatian under-21 team. Later that year, he became the head coach of the senior Croatian team. He managed Croatia at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

In 2016, he became the head coach of Eintracht Frankfurt and won the 2018 DFB-Pokal Final with them. He then moved to Bayern Munich in 2018, where he won both the league and cup in 2019. After leaving Bayern, Kovač managed Monaco from 2020 to 2022. He returned to German football to manage VfL Wolfsburg from 2022 to 2024. Since January 2025, he has been the manager of Borussia Dortmund.

Club Career Highlights

Starting His Journey (1987–1996)

Niko Kovač began playing football at age eight with a club called Rapide Wedding in Berlin. He then joined Hertha Zehlendorf and quickly became part of their main team. In 1991, he moved to Hertha BSC, which marked the start of his professional football career. At that time, Hertha BSC played in the 2. Bundesliga, a lower division in Germany.

While playing football, Niko also practiced judo and earned a blue belt. After finishing high school, he studied business at the Free University of Berlin. He stopped his university studies when he signed a contract with Bayer Leverkusen.

Playing for Bayer Leverkusen (1996–1999)

In 1996, Kovač joined Bayer Leverkusen, a team in the top German league, the Bundesliga. He played his first Bundesliga game on August 17, 1996. In his first season, he played in 32 league matches and scored three goals. He often came on as a substitute in the next two seasons. During his three years at Bayer Leverkusen, Kovač played 77 Bundesliga games and scored eight goals. This was also the first time he played alongside his younger brother, Robert, in his professional career.

Time at Hamburger SV (1999–2001)

Kovač moved to Hamburger SV in 1999. He spent two seasons with this club, playing 55 Bundesliga matches and scoring 12 goals.

Joining Bayern Munich (2001–2003)

In July 2001, Kovač signed with Bayern Munich, one of Germany's biggest clubs. His brother, Robert, also joined Bayern at the same time. However, Niko did not play as regularly as he might have hoped. After two seasons, he left Bayern in 2003 to return to Hertha BSC. He played 34 Bundesliga matches for Bayern and scored three goals.

Returning to Hertha BSC (2003–2006)

Kovač then went back to play for Hertha BSC. He played 75 Bundesliga games for the club during this second period and scored eight goals.

Final Years as a Player at Red Bull Salzburg (2006–2009)

Kovač in 2009

After the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Kovač left Hertha and joined Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. He was a key player for Salzburg and also played in their UEFA Champions League qualifying matches. He scored his first goal for Red Bull Salzburg in August 2006. He extended his contract until the summer of 2009. On May 29, 2009, Kovač retired from professional football after three years with Red Bull Salzburg. His last match was a friendly game against his former club, Bayern Munich.

International Career with Croatia

Kovač played his first international game for Croatia on December 11, 1996, against Morocco. He played in some qualifying matches for the 1998 FIFA World Cup but missed the main tournament due to an injury. He returned to the national team in November 1999.

He played in five qualifying matches for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and scored one goal. At the World Cup, he started in all three group matches, but Croatia did not advance. He was also a regular player in the UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying games, scoring two goals. At the Euro 2004 tournament, he played all three group matches and scored a goal against England. However, Croatia was eliminated from the tournament.

After Euro 2004, Kovač became the captain of the Croatian national team. He led the team through the qualifying games for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He played in all three of Croatia's group matches at the tournament, even though he got injured in the first game. Kovač scored a goal against Australia, but the match ended in a draw, and Croatia was eliminated.

Euro 2008 was a memorable tournament for Captain Kovač. He played exceptionally well against Germany and Turkey. He announced his retirement from international football on January 7, 2009. He wanted to give younger players a chance to gain experience in the Croatian team.

Coaching Career Journey

Starting at Red Bull Salzburg (2009–2011)

Kovač as the assistant coach for Red Bull Salzburg, 2011

After retiring as a player, Kovač became a coach for the second team of Red Bull Salzburg, called Red Bull Juniors, in June 2009. He coached them until April 2011. In 2011, he was promoted to assistant coach for the first team. He left Salzburg in June 2012.

Coaching Croatia (2013–2015)

Leading the Under-21 Team

On January 21, 2013, Niko Kovač was announced as the head coach for the Croatian under-21 team. His brother, Robert, joined him as an assistant coach. Their goal was to help the team qualify for the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. They started very well, winning their first four games and scoring 13 goals without letting any in.

Managing the Senior Team

On October 16, 2013, Niko Kovač became the manager of the senior Croatian team. He signed a two-year contract. His first matches were important World Cup play-offs against Iceland. Croatia won and qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. At the World Cup, Croatia won one game against Cameroon but lost to Brazil and Mexico, so they did not get past the group stage. Kovač's contract with Croatia ended on September 9, 2015.

Success at Eintracht Frankfurt (2016–2018)

Kovač became the head coach of Eintracht Frankfurt on March 8, 2016. The team was in a tough spot, but Kovač helped them avoid being relegated (moved down to a lower league). He even received a Fair Play Prize for comforting the opposing team's players after their defeat.

In the 2016–17 season, Eintracht finished in eleventh place in the league. They also reached the 2017 DFB-Pokal Final, which was their first final since 2006, but they lost to Borussia Dortmund. In the 2017–18 season, Kovač led Eintracht to the 2018 DFB-Pokal Final again. This time, they won against his future club, Bayern Munich. This was Eintracht's first trophy since 1988. Kovač had a record of 38 wins, 20 draws, and 33 losses in 91 matches with Frankfurt.

Managing Bayern Munich (2018–2019)

Kovač with Bayern Munich in 2019

On April 13, 2018, Bayern Munich announced that Kovač would be their new head coach starting from the 2018–19 season. He signed a three-year contract. His brother, Robert, also joined him as an assistant coach. Kovač was one of the few former Bayern players to become their manager.

On August 12, Kovač won his first match as Bayern coach, beating his former club Eintracht Frankfurt 5–0 in the German Super Cup. On May 19, 2019, he led Bayern to win their seventh straight Bundesliga title. This was Kovač's first Bundesliga title as a coach.

On May 25, 2019, Kovač helped Bayern win both the league and the cup, beating RB Leipzig 3–0 in the 2019 DFB-Pokal Final. He became the first coach since 2006 to win back-to-back cup titles. He was also the first person to win both the league and cup as a player and as a coach in German football. Kovač left Bayern by mutual agreement on November 3, 2019, after a 5–1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Time at Monaco (2020–2022)

On July 19, 2020, Kovač was appointed as the head coach of Ligue 1 club Monaco in France. In his first game, Monaco drew 2–2 after being two goals down. On November 20, Monaco famously beat Paris Saint-Germain, the French champions, 3–2 after being 0–2 down. He beat Paris Saint-Germain again on February 21, 2021. Monaco lost 2–0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the Coupe de France Final. Monaco announced Kovač's departure on January 1, 2022.

Managing VfL Wolfsburg (2022–2024)

VfL Wolfsburg announced Kovač as their new coach on May 24, 2022, marking his return to the Bundesliga. He managed the team until March 2024.

Current Role at Borussia Dortmund (2025–)

Kovač signed an 18-month deal with Borussia Dortmund on January 29, 2025. When he took over, the team was in 11th place. Under his leadership, Dortmund reached the Champions League quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Barcelona. On the final matchday of the season, the club moved up to fourth place, which meant they qualified for the Champions League next season.

Managerial Style

Throughout his coaching career, Niko Kovač has often used formations like 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3. He focuses a lot on how his team plays when they don't have the ball. His teams work hard to defend tightly and press opponents high up the field, trying to force them to play wide. As soon as they win the ball back, they use their fast players to quickly attack.

Personal Life

Niko Kovač was born on October 15, 1971, in Wedding, West Berlin. His parents, Mato and Ivka, came from Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina, to West Germany in 1970. He has two younger siblings, his brother Robert and a sister named Nikolina. Niko Kovač is also a German citizen. He chose to represent Croatia in international football.

Kovač married his primary school sweetheart in 1999, and they have a daughter named Laura. He is a Roman Catholic and values family greatly, trying to share this value with his players.

In 2007, Kovač appeared in a video for a Croatian political party's election campaign. The video talked about how Croatians living abroad could vote. In it, Kovač spoke about his strong connection to his home country. A line from the video, "My brother Robert, as well!", became a popular saying in Croatia when people talk about the Kovač brothers.

Career statistics

Club

International goals

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Final	Competition
1	29 March 2000	Maksimir, Zagreb	Germany	1–1	1–1	Friendly
2	5 September 2001	Olimpico, Serravalle	San Marino	1–0	4–0	World Cup 2002 Qualifying
3	8 May 2002	PMFC, Pécs	Hungary	2–0	2–0	Friendly
4	11 June 2003	A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn	Estonia	1–0	1–0	Euro 2004 Qualifying
5	6 September 2003	Comunal, Aixovall	Andorra	1–0	3–0
6	21 June 2004	Estádio da Luz, Lisbon	England	1–0	2–4	Euro 2004
7–8	26 March 2005	Maksimir, Zagreb	Iceland	1–0	4–0	World Cup 2006 Qualifying
				3–0
9	22 June 2006	Gottlieb-Daimler, Stuttgart	Australia	2–1	2–2	World Cup 2006
10–11	22 August 2007	Koševo, Sarajevo	Bosnia and Herzegovina	3–2	5–3	Friendly
				5–3
12	24 May 2008	Kantrida, Rijeka	Moldova	1–0	1–0
13	31 May 2008	Szusza Ferenc, Budapest	Hungary	1–0	1–1
14	6 September 2008	Maksimir, Zagreb	Kazakhstan	1–0	3–0	World Cup 2010 Qualifying

Managerial statistics

Honours

Player

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga: 2002–03
• DFB-Pokal: 2002–03
• Intercontinental Cup: 2001

Red Bull Salzburg

• Austrian Bundesliga: 2006–07

Manager

Eintracht Frankfurt

• DFB-Pokal: 2017–18; runner-up: 2016–17

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga: 2018–19
• DFB-Pokal: 2018–19
• DFL-Supercup: 2018

Monaco

• Coupe de France runner-up: 2020–21

See also

In Spanish: Niko Kovač para niños