Borussia Dortmund have appointed Niko Kovac as their new head coach, the Bundesliga club have announced.
The 53-year-old succeeds Nuri Sahin after the former Dortmund, Real Madrid and Liverpool midfielder was sacked on Jan. 22 with the team struggling in the Bundesliga and out of the German Cup.
Kovac, who had a 19-month spell in charge of Bayern Munich between April 2018 and November 2019, had been out of work since leaving Bundesliga side Wolfsburg in March 2024.
“All those responsible at BVB gave us a very good feeling during the talks, so I am convinced that we can achieve a lot together in the future,” Kovac said in a club statement.
“The most important thing for all of us now is to have absolute determination, a big heart and the willingness to work hard to represent Borussia Dortmund in the best possible way in the Bundesliga, the Champions League and at the Club World Cup in the summer.
“We are tackling this challenge with determination and focus.”
While Dortmund are 11th in the Bundesliga table with seven wins from 19 games, they did reach the playoff round of the Champions League with a 3-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.
Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken told DAZN that Kovac will take over the side on Sunday following their match against FC Heidenheim on Saturday.
Born in Berlin, Kovac played international football for Croatia and coached the Croatian national team from 2013 to 2015.