Borussia Dortmund have announced the extension of head coach Niko Kovac's contract until 30 June 2029, confirming that the partnership continues after the positive results the team have achieved under the Croatian.
According to Borussia Dortmund's official website, Kovac, 54, put pen to paper on Tuesday with the eight-time Bundesliga champions.
Assistant coaches Robert Kovac, 52, and Filip Tapalovic, 49, stay on as part of the coaching staff.
Lars Ricken, Borussia Dortmund's managing director of sport, said: "We are on a very good path with Niko Kovac since he took charge a little over a year and a half ago. He has continuously developed the team further, and he enjoys great acceptance within our club. Extending Niko's contract is also a clear signal of our commitment to continuity and stability at Borussia Dortmund. Niko also knows what Borussia Dortmund means to him, which is why we quickly reached an agreement on continuing the journey together."
Carsten Cramer, chairman of the club's executive management, stressed the strength of Kovac's bond with the club, saying: "Niko Kovac has a great attachment to Borussia Dortmund, which, among other factors, makes him an extremely good fit for our club. There is great harmony between Niko, his coaching staff and the sporting management, which is reassuring. On that basis, we were able to reach a mutual and swift agreement on continuing our cooperation."
Kovac and his staff walked into a team sitting eleventh in the table in the spring of 2025. They dragged them into the UEFA Champions League on the final matchday of the 2024-2025 season.
Last season brought second place in the Bundesliga and 73 points, the fifth best tally in the club's history.
Borussia Dortmund's sporting director Sebastian Kehl...
Olli Bock, Borussia Dortmund's sporting director, said: "A relationship built on trust has developed between me and Niko since my very first day here. Niko works with great precision, and he also gives our team a sense of calm thanks to his experience. We are in contact almost daily, and we are working on taking the next steps with the team in order to achieve success with Borussia Dortmund."
The numbers back it up. Kovac has taken charge of 53 Bundesliga matches as Dortmund coach, collecting 114 points at an average of 2.15 per game. No coach in the club's history has bettered that average.
Kovac himself said: "We have begun a clear development journey together, we have laid important foundations for the future, and we want to build on them. We have a clear vision of our style of play, of the way the team must present itself, and of what we need in order to achieve our objectives. The decisive thing is that we do not settle for what we have achieved, but rather work every day to become better. We see great potential, and we are convinced that we can achieve a lot together, if we continue to work with complete belief in what we are doing and with great determination."