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 | ||
| Team information | |||
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Current team
|
Borussia Dortmund (assistant) | ||
| 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 | |||
| 2013–2015 | Croatia (assistant) | ||
| 2018–2019 | Bayern Munich (assistant) | ||
| 2020–2022 | Monaco (assistant) | ||
| 2022–2024 | VfL Wolfsburg (assistant) | ||
| 2025– | Borussia Dortmund (assistant) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Robert Kovač was born on April 6, 1974. He is a professional football manager and a former player. He played as a centre-back, which is a defensive position in football.
Robert Kovač is currently an assistant coach for the Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund. He was born in Germany but played for the Croatian national team. He represented Croatia in two FIFA World Cups and two UEFA European Championships. He was known for being good with the ball and skilled at taking it from opponents. His older brother, Niko Kovač, is also a well-known football manager and former player.
Robert Kovač's playing career lasted for 19 years. He played for football clubs in Germany, Italy, and Croatia.
Contents
Robert Kovač's Club Career
Starting His Football Journey
Robert Kovač began his football career with smaller clubs like Rapide Wedding and Hertha Zehlendorf. He made his first appearance in the top German league, the Bundesliga, with 1. FC Nürnberg in 1995.
He quickly became a regular player for Nürnberg. His strong performances caught the attention of bigger clubs. At the end of that season, he signed with Bayer Leverkusen.
Playing for Bayer Leverkusen
Kovač spent the next five seasons at Bayer Leverkusen. During his time there, the club did not win any major trophies. However, they finished as runners-up in the Bundesliga three times.
Winning Trophies with Bayern Munich
After his contract with Leverkusen ended, Robert Kovač joined Bayern Munich. Bayern Munich had just won the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League.
In his four seasons with Bayern, Kovač achieved great success. He won two Bundesliga titles and two German Cup titles. He also helped the team win the 2001 Intercontinental Cup.
Adventures in Italy with Juventus
On July 15, 2005, Kovač signed with Juventus, a famous club in Italy. He was one of the few main players who decided to stay with Juventus when they were moved down to a lower league, Serie B.
He played 35 games for Juventus and scored one goal. After his time in Italy, he moved back to Germany to play for Borussia Dortmund.
Back to Germany: Borussia Dortmund
On August 1, 2007, Robert Kovač joined Borussia Dortmund. Another Croatian national team player, Mladen Petrić, had also joined the club earlier.
Kovač's return to the Bundesliga was not as successful as hoped. He was sold to Dinamo Zagreb during the winter transfer period of the 2008–09 season.
Finishing Strong at Dinamo Zagreb
On January 29, 2009, Robert Kovač signed a one-and-a-half-year contract with Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb. Borussia Dortmund received €450,000 for the transfer.
Kovač had been a target for Dinamo Zagreb before, but they couldn't agree on terms in 2007. In his first season, he played 12 league games and two Croatian Cup games. He started the 2009–10 season with a foot injury. This meant he missed matches in July and August.
He returned to play in September. Kovač played a total of 22 games for Dinamo in all competitions. On June 1, 2010, it was officially announced that he had retired from playing football.
Playing for His Country: International Career
Robert Kovač proudly represented Croatia in two FIFA World Cup tournaments: 2002 and 2006. He also played in two UEFA European Championships: 2004 and 2008.
At the 2006 World Cup, he played very well in defense. However, he received a second yellow card against Japan. This meant he missed the important final group match against Australia due to suspension. Without Kovač, Croatia's defense struggled. His replacement made a mistake that led to Australia's first goal from a penalty. Croatia drew 2–2 with Australia and was eliminated from the tournament.
Robert Kovač often played alongside his older brother, Niko Kovač, for Croatia, Leverkusen, and Bayern. Robert retired from the national team in the fall of 2009. He had been the team captain after his brother Niko retired in 2008. His last international game was a World Cup qualification match against Kazakhstan in October 2009.
Life After Playing: Coaching Career
On January 21, 2013, Igor Štimac, who was the head coach of the Croatia national football team, announced something exciting. He said that Robert Kovač, along with his older brother Niko, would become the head coaches for the Croatia national under-21 football team.
From October 2013 to September 2015, Robert also worked as an assistant manager. He helped his brother Niko, who was then the head coach of the senior Croatian team.
On July 1, 2018, Robert Kovač became an assistant manager for Bayern Munich. His older brother, Niko, brought Robert with him when Niko became the manager of the club. On November 3, 2019, both brothers left the club.
In July 2020, Kovač joined Monaco as an assistant coach. Again, Niko was the manager there. As of 2025, Robert Kovač is an assistant coach for Borussia Dortmund.
Robert Kovač's Family Life
Robert Kovač was born in Berlin. His family were Bosnian Croat immigrants from Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina. His older brother is Niko Kovač.
Robert is married to Anica Kovač. She is a former Croatian model and was the first runner-up in the Miss World 1995 competition.
Trophies and Achievements
Robert Kovač won several important 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
