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Niko Kovac: "I'm a fan of lots is more"
The first group training session with the entirety of the first-team squad on Tuesday focused on attacking actions and processes. "There was a smile, there was a lot of positivity," said sporting director Sebastian Kehl, describing his impressions and explaining: "I can feel the fire in Niko and his coaching team. He demands clear principles. It's a huge opportunity for all of us to take a step forward at this point. We will provide fresh impetus, with new ideas, and we still see great potential for this season."
"My first impression is very positive. I'm delighted," said Kovac: "We're very well recovered after a ten-month break, very motivated and delighted to be back in the Bundesliga and working for a club as big as Borussia Dortmund."
Niko Kovac on his first impressions of the team:
"The last three games were positive. BVB picked up seven points. You can see that the team has the necessary quality. A lot of good players. A lot depends on self-confidence. What Mike (Tullberg, ed.) has done with the team in the last three games has been great. The boys have seen how nice it is to win. Wins are important to boost self-confidence. The groundwork for getting wins is good training sessions, winning tackles, crisp passes. I saw that in training today. We had a good session. What has been is not important. What is and will be is the most important thing in life and in football."
...on the things he values:
"I'm a hard worker. Where I come from, or rather how I was brought up, nothing came for granted. Everything my family and I created was through hard work. I believe that I fit in very well here, in the Ruhrpott. The things I demand are: discipline, order, passion, intensity and aggression. We have to get both things right: deliver the footballing component to a good level, but also the physical component. Many things are decided in the head. If you have a clear head, you can push to the limit. Only those who work will get something. You don't get much for little. I'm a fan of a lot is more."
...on his objectives:
"It's BVB's aspiration, and it's also our aspiration, to get the maximum out of what we have. I don't want to talk too much about the league positions. The points wills be tallied in the end. We now have a very important game against VfB Stuttgart. With the crowd behind us, I'm hoping we'll get the support we need to win this game and take a step forward. The league will be decided very, very late. The last few games will be very exciting. As far as fourth place is concerned, nobody will be able to pull away."
...on approaches and motivators:
"I have seen a team that possess great ability and a lot of individual quality. But also a team that haven't performed to the best of their ability. We want to get BVB back to where it belongs, namely at the top. I'm expecting a club with heart and passion. If we manage to create a symbiotic relationship, then I am absolutely convinced that we will be successful together."
... about jumping in at the deep end with important matches in quick succession in the league and the Champions League:
"Mike had to do that too: get to work straight away. It's clearly not ideal. But in our job, you can't expect to have a summer or winter preparation programme. We're not going to reinvent everything. It's about giving the players the confidence they need. If the team has that, they are strong enough to win games, even if the coach has only been there for a week."
...on captain Emre Can:
"I see Emre as a leading player. He's a Germany international and has played for big clubs. He feels very comfortable in the centre-back position. He remains the captain and I have full confidence in him. Of course, performance is paramount. If the performance is right, there's no second-guessing."
... on his former player Niklas Süle:
"He had a nailed-on place with me in Munich. He did his first runs yesterday and will hopefully be partially integrated into training on Wednesday. Then we'll endeavour to get him up to speed with the team as quickly as possible. If Nicky is healthy, then I'd say he's a player for the 2026 World Cup squad."
Boris Rupert