Robert Kovač facts for kids
Kovač with Borussia Dortmund in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Kovač | ||
| Date of birth | 6 April 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | West Berlin, West Germany | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1980–1986 | Rapide Wedding | ||
| 1986–1991 | Hertha Zehlendorf | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1991–1995 | Hertha Zehlendorf | 112 | (12) |
| 1995–1996 | 1. FC Nürnberg | 33 | (1) |
| 1996–2001 | Bayer Leverkusen | 127 | (1) |
| 2001–2005 | Bayern Munich | 94 | (1) |
| 2005–2007 | Juventus | 35 | (1) |
| 2007–2008 | Borussia Dortmund | 26 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Dinamo Zagreb | 22 | (0) |
| Total | 449 | (16) | |
| International career | |||
| 1999–2009 | Croatia | 84 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2012–2013 | Croatia U21 (assistant) | ||
| 2013–2015 | Croatia (assistant) | ||
| 2016–2018 | Eintracht Frankfurt (assistant) | ||
| 2018–2019 | Bayern Munich (assistant) | ||
| 2020–2022 | AS Monaco (assistant) | ||
| 2022–2024 | VfL Wolfsburg (assistant) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Robert Kovač (born 6 April 1974) is a football manager and a former player. He played as a centre-back, which is a defender in football. Robert was born in Germany. He played for the Croatian national team. He was known for being good with the ball and taking it away from opponents. His older brother, Niko, is also a famous football manager and former player.
Contents
Robert Kovač's Playing Career
Starting Out in Football
Kovač began his football journey at smaller clubs like Rapide Wedding and Hertha Zehlendorf. He made his first big appearance in the Bundesliga, Germany's top football league, with 1. FC Nürnberg in 1995. He played regularly and caught the eye of bigger teams.
Time at Bayer Leverkusen
After playing well, Kovač joined Leverkusen. He stayed there for five seasons. The club did not win any major trophies during this time. However, they finished second in the Bundesliga three times.
Winning with Bayern Munich
After his contract ended, Robert moved to Bayern Munich. This club had just won the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League. At Bayern, he had a lot of success. He won two Bundesliga titles and two German Cup titles. He also won the 2001 Intercontinental Cup, a big international club trophy.
Playing for Juventus
On 15 July 2005, Kovač signed with Juventus in Italy. He was one of the few main players who decided to stay with Juventus. This was even after the team was moved down to a lower league, Serie B. He played 35 games and scored one goal for Juventus. Then, he moved back to Germany.
Back in Germany with Borussia Dortmund
On 1 August 2007, Robert Kovač joined Borussia Dortmund. Another Croatian player, Mladen Petrić, also joined the club around that time. Robert's return to the Bundesliga was not as successful as he hoped. He was later sold to Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia.
Finishing Career at Dinamo Zagreb
On 29 January 2009, Kovač signed a contract with Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb. The club had tried to sign him before. He played 12 league games in his first season there. He also played two games in the Croatian Football Cup. Robert started the next season with a foot injury. He missed some matches but returned in September. He played 22 games for Dinamo in total. On 1 June 2010, it was announced that he had retired from playing football.
Robert Kovač's International Career
Kovač played for the Croatian national team. He played in two World Cups: 2002 and 2006. He also played in two European Championships: 2004 and 2008.
At the 2006 World Cup, he played very well in defense. However, he missed a key game against Australia because of yellow cards. Without him, Croatia struggled and was eliminated from the tournament. Robert often played alongside his older brother, Niko Kovač, for Croatia. He stopped playing for the national team in 2009. His last international game was a World Cup qualification match against Kazakhstan.
Robert Kovač's Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Robert Kovač became a football coach.
- On 21 January 2013, he became an assistant coach for the Croatia national under-21 football team. He worked with his brother, Niko.
- From October 2013 to September 2015, he was also an assistant manager for the main Croatia national football team.
- On 1 July 2018, he joined Bayern Munich as an assistant manager. His brother Niko was the main manager. They both left the club on 3 November 2019.
- In July 2020, Kovač became an assistant coach for AS Monaco. Again, he worked with his brother Niko.
Robert Kovač's Personal Life
Robert Kovač was born in Berlin, Germany. His family came from Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is married to Anica Kovač, who used to be a model.
Honours and Trophies
Robert Kovač won several trophies during his playing career:
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2002–03, 2004–05
- DFB-Pokal: 2002–03, 2004–05
- Intercontinental Cup: 2001
Juventus
- Serie B: 2006–07
Dinamo Zagreb
- Prva HNL: 2008–09
- Croatian Cup: 2008–09
See also
In Spanish: Robert Kovač para niños
