Borussia Dortmund extend Niko Kovac’s contract until 2027

Borussia Dortmund have extended the contract of head coach Niko Kovac by one year, keeping him at the club until 2027, the Bundesliga side announced on Tuesday.

Kovac, formerly in charge of Bayern Munich, Eintracht Frankfurt, and AS Monaco, took over Dortmund in January 2025 on an 18-month deal when the club was languishing in 11th place. 

Despite briefly slipping to 13th, the 52-year-old turned the season around spectacularly, guiding Dortmund to 22 points from their final eight matches to secure a fourth-place finish and the last Champions League spot.

“With honest work, clear decisions, and great enthusiasm, we want to help Borussia Dortmund return to our former strength,” Kovac said in a club statement. “We still have a lot to do together.”

Sporting director Sebastian Kehl praised the coach’s impact, noting: “Niko approaches every game with conviction, intensity, and passion. We believe that together we can continue along the successful path set by last season’s final surge.”

Renowned for his disciplinarian style and emphasis on fitness and work-rate, Kovac first rose to prominence by guiding Eintracht Frankfurt to the German Cup in 2018. 

He later led Bayern Munich to a domestic double in 2018-19 before parting ways with the club the following season.

As a player, the Berlin-born Kovac earned 83 caps for Croatia, scoring 14 goals, and represented Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, and Hamburg during his club career.

Dortmund opened the new campaign with a disappointing 3-3 draw away to St. Pauli, conceding twice and going down to 10 men in the final five minutes.