Borussia Dortmund extends coach Niko Kovac’s contract until 2029

Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac signed a contract extension until June 2029. | Photo Credit: AP

Borussia Dortmund has extended head coach Niko Kovac’s contract until June 2029 following his successful turnaround of the Bundesliga club, it announced on Tuesday.

The 54-year-old Croatian took charge in February 2025, when Dortmund was struggling in 11th place in the league. He helped the team recover to finish fourth and qualify for the Champions League before guiding it to a runner-up finish last season.

Dortmund has also made a strong start to the current campaign, winning four of its opening five Bundesliga matches.

The announcement came ahead of Dortmund’s Champions League encounter against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt on Wednesday.

Dortmund managing director for sport Lars Ricken praised Kovac’s impact, saying the coach had made steady improvements to the team and earned the confidence of those within the club.

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Ricken added that the contract extension reflected Dortmund’s commitment to maintaining continuity and stability.

The club also confirmed that assistant coaches Robert Kovac, Niko’s brother, and Filip Tapalovic had signed extensions until June 30, 2029.

Under Kovac, Dortmund has averaged 2.15 points per Bundesliga match across 53 games, the highest figure recorded by any coach in the club’s history.

Sporting director Ole Book highlighted his close working relationship with Kovac, saying the pair remained in regular contact as they worked towards improving the team’s performances.

Before joining Dortmund, Kovac enjoyed success with Eintracht Frankfurt, leading the club to the German Cup title in 2018 with victory over Bayern Munich in the final.

He subsequently took charge of Bayern and guided it to the Bundesliga and German Cup double in the 2018-19 season.

Published on Oct 13, 2026

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