Dortmund Head Coach Contract Extended Through 2029; Kovac: Can't Play Rex on Artificial Turf
Nico Kovac, speaking at a press conference before the match against Bodø/Glimt, confirmed his contract extension and complained about playing conditions on artificial turf.
According to Sports Three, after renewing his contract until 2029, Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac emphasized that his team still has a lot of room for improvement and does not intend to take risks on his injured stars in the critical game against Budo Glimt.
After winning 3-2 against Villarreal in the first week, Borussia Dortmund visit Bodo Glimt of Norway in their second Champions League game on Wednesday night. In the press conference before this match, Niko Kovac explained about the extension of his contract, the team's goals for the future and the reason for Niko Schloterback's withdrawal.
On Tuesday morning, Dortmund officially announced the extension of Kovac's contract until 2029. Dortmund sporting director Lars Rikken was very pleased with the decision and said: "The lifespan of a coach in the Bundesliga is usually twelve or thirteen months, but we have gone much further than that. Our idea of bringing Kovac last winter was to restore calm to the team. He brought stability back to Dortmund and proved his commitment and loyalty. "Last year we were looking for stability and now it's time to take the next steps." In February 2025, Kovac took over the troubled Dortmund team from the 11th place, won the Champions League quota and was the runner-up in the Bundesliga last season. With an average of 2.15 points per match, he is considered the most successful coach in the history of Dortmund in the Bundesliga.
Despite these good results, Dortmund have yet to win a trophy with Kovac. However, he did not want to talk about the championship in Norway: "We have achieved the necessary stability and we want to be a brave and ambitious team. Our path so far has been very good, but the past events are no longer important because we still have the potential to improve. We want to expand the structure we have built. "The negotiations went very quickly and both sides are completely satisfied with this extension."
The most important news of Kovac's press conference was the absence of Niko Eschloterback in this match. The Dortmund centre-back, who suffered an ankle injury in the German national team camp, played against Werder Bremen but was ruled out for the trip to Norway. "Sheloti is not with us," Kovac said about this decision. After the injury in the national team, he returned very soon and played in the Bundesliga, but the game tomorrow and the condition of his ankle was not such that he could play. In coordination with the medical staff and the player himself, we came to the conclusion that his presence in this match has no logic."
One of the main reasons for Schlotterback's streak is the artificial turf of the 8,000-seat Budo Glimt stadium. "I've played on the first generation of artificial turf myself in the past, and I know the ball moves a lot faster on this," Kovac said of playing on the turf.
This match is the start of a tough week for Dortmund. They have to play three away games in seven days and fly eleven thousand kilometers.