"What he has achieved is certainly an incentive for me to follow in his footsteps": Niko Kovac admires BVB's former manager

Kovac invoked BVB's glorious era under the legendary manager Ottmar Hitzfeld, who guided the club to back-to-back Bundesliga crowns and the Champions League between 1991 and 1997. "What Ottmar achieved here is certainly an incentive for me to do the same," he said.

Hitzfeld, who once coached him at Bayern Munich, is "a wonderful person and professional" who "is still there for me today whenever I need advice," Kovac says. "Regardless of his titles, he has stayed a normal person. He always tells me what he thinks to my face. Approachable, authentic, honest, with great empathy and a commanding presence. When it came to managing people—knowing when to look the other way and when to tighten the reins—he was second to none."

Dortmund's most recent major honour is the 2021 DFB-Pokal, while their last Bundesliga crown dates back to 2012. The club's greatest achievement remains its 1997 Champions League triumph.