Niko Kovač

Niko Kovač

Kovač in 2009
Personal information
Date of birth	(1971-10-15) 15 October 1971
Place of birth	Berlin-Wedding, West Berlin
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Central midfielder
Team information
Current team	Eintracht Frankfurt (manager)
Youth career
1987–1989	Rapide Wedding
1989–1990	Hertha Zehlendorf
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1990–1991	Hertha Zehlendorf	25	(7)
1991	Hertha BSC II	12	(1)
1992–1996	Hertha BSC	148	(15)
1996–1999	Bayer Leverkusen	77	(8)
1999–2001	Hamburger SV	55	(12)
2001–2003	Bayern Munich	34	(3)
2003–2006	Hertha BSC	75	(8)
2006–2009	Red Bull Salzburg	65	(9)
Total		491	(63)
International career
1996–2008	Croatia	83	(14)
Managerial career
2009–2011	Red Bull Salzburg (academy)
2011–2012	Red Bull Salzburg (assistant)
2012–2013	Croatia U21
2013–2015	Croatia
2016–	Eintracht Frankfurt
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Niko Kovač (Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [nǐːko kǒʋaːtʃ, - kô-]; born 15 October 1971) is a Croatian former footballer and current manager of Eintracht Frankfurt. Kovač is scheduled to become the manager of Bayern Munich on a three-year contract starting 1 July 2018.

Kovač was the long-standing captain of the Croatia national team until his retirement from international football in January 2009. A defensive midfielder who was known for his excellent passing and tackling skills, Kovač was, at the time of his retirement, the oldest player in the Croatian squad and had captained them at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2008. He has also enjoyed a high level of top club action, having spent most of his club career in the German Bundesliga, including spells with Hertha BSC, Bayer Leverkusen, Hamburger SV and Bayern Munich.

He ended his playing career with Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg, where he then took the non-playing role of the reserve team coach and eventually became assistant manager under team manager Ricardo Moniz. In January 2013, Kovač took over the Croatia national under-21 team and in October 2013 he took over the Croatia senior team following the dismissal of Igor Štimac. Kovač managed Croatia at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, then became head coach of Eintracht Frankfurt in 2016.

Club career

Early career

Niko Kovač was born on 15 October 1971 in Berlin-Wedding, West Berlin, to a Croatian family hailing from Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina. His parents Mato and Ivka emigrated from SFR Yugoslavia in 1970, and Niko has younger siblings, brother Robert and sister Nikolina. Kovač started training football as eight or nine years old at local club Rapide Wedding. Afterwards he began playing at Hertha Zehlendorf and soon became a member of their first team. He moved to Hertha BSC in the summer of 1991 and started his professional career with the club that competed in the 2. Bundesliga at the time. During his youth, Kovač in parallel with football practiced judo, earning the blue belt. After finishing high school (gymnasium), he continued his education at the Free University of Berlin. He pursued a degree in business studies while playing for Hertha BSC. After eight semesters, he left university when he secured a contract with Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayer Leverkusen

In the summer of 1996, Kovač left Hertha, still a 2. Bundesliga side at the time, for Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen. He made his Bundesliga debut on 17 August 1996, appearing as a half-time substitute in the club's opening match of the 1996–97 season, a 4–2 home victory over Borussia Dortmund. He appeared in 32 Bundesliga matches in his first season with Leverkusen, also scoring three goals. However, he mostly played as a substitute in the following two seasons and missed several matches in the 1997–98 season after sustaining an injury in the club's home match against VfB Stuttgart in December 1997. In three seasons with Bayer Leverkusen, Kovač made 77 Bundesliga appearances and scored eight goals in league competition. At the club, he was teammates with his younger brother Robert for the first time in his professional career.

Hamburger SV

Kovač joined Hamburger SV in the summer of 1999 and spent two seasons with the club, making 55 Bundesliga appearances and scoring 12 goals in the Bundesliga. In the summer of 2001, he joined Bayern Munich, where he was once again teammates with his younger brother Robert.

Bayern Munich

However, Kovač did not manage to establish himself as a regular at the club and left Bayern for a second stint with Hertha BSC after two seasons in the summer of 2003. He appeared in 34 Bundesliga matches and scored three goals for Bayern in the league.

Hertha BSC

Kovač then signed for Hertha again. He made 75 Bundesliga appearances for Hertha and scored eight goals for the club in the league.

Red Bull Salzburg

After the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Kovač left Hertha after three seasons for Austrian Bundesliga side Red Bull Salzburg. He was a regular in the Salzburg team and also appeared in all of their four UEFA Champions League qualifiers in the summer of 2006. On 26 August 2006, he scored his first goal for Red Bull Salzburg in the Bundesliga, netting the second goal in their 4–0 home victory over Wacker Tirol. He signed one more year until summer 2009 in May 2008. On 29 May 2009, Kovač left after three years with Red Bull and retired from professional football. He played his last match for Red Bull in a friendly against former club Bayern Munich; he was substituted off after the first 15 minutes.

International career

Kovač made his senior international debut in Croatia's friendly match against Morocco on 11 December 1996 in Casablanca. He subsequently also appeared in three qualifying matches for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, but missed the finals in France because he did not fully recover from injury until the beginning of the preparations for the tournament. He was subsequently not part of the national team for two years before making his comeback in a friendly match against France in November 1999.

At international level, Kovač played for Croatia in five qualifying matches for the 2002 World Cup and scored one goal in Croatia's 4–0 victory away against San Marino. At the final tournament, he appeared as a starting player in all three group matches before Croatia was eliminated from the tournament with a third-place finish in their group. He was also a regular in UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying, making seven appearances and scoring two goals in away matches, the 1–0 winner against Estonia and the opening goal in the team's 3–0 victory over Andorra. He also played the entire three group matches played by the Croatian team at the final Euro 2004 tournament in Portugal and scored the opening goal in the final group match against England. However, Croatia lost the match 4–2 and was once again eliminated from the tournament as the third-placed nation in its group.

After Euro 2004, Kovač became the Croatia national team's captain and led the team through the qualifying campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals in Germany. He appeared in nine of ten qualifying matches and scored two goals, both in Croatia's 4–0 victory over Iceland at home in Zagreb. At the final tournament, he appeared in all three of Croatia's group matches, despite sustaining an injury which forced him to leave the pitch after 40 minutes of the team's opening match against Brazil. Kovač scored the goal that put Croatia 2–1 up in the final group match against Australia. However, the match ended in a 2–2 draw and Croatia was eliminated by virtue of finishing third in the group. This was the third consecutive time this had happened in a major tournament.

Euro 2008 was a bittersweet campaign for captain Kovač. His sterling performances against Germany and Turkey ultimately unrewarded in what could prove to be his last major tournament. Against Germany, he was peerless, producing a man of the match display alongside Luka Modrić whilst against Turkey, he reduced his opponents to pot shots from distance as they rarely broke through his screening protection of the back four. Before and after that game, Kovač reiterated his intention to retire from international football at the end of Euro 2008, however, after conversation with Slaven Bilić, it would seem he feels there is "unfinished business" to take care of.

Kovač finally announced his international retirement on 7 January 2009, stating a desire that younger players should be given experience in the Croatia side.

Coaching career

Red Bull Salzburg: reserve team coach and first team

During Red Bull Salzburg match as assistant coach

After his retirement from professional football, Kovač became coach of the second squad of FC Red Bull Salzburg, Red Bull Juniors, from 16 June 2009 to 7 April 2011. In the 2009–10 season, he finished in sixth place and were knocked out in the Austrian Cup in the second round in a shootout. He was with the second team until 7 April 2011. His final match was a 1–1 draw against SV Seekirchen. In 2011, he was promoted to being assistant coach of the first squad together with Ricardo Moniz as head coach. After Moniz resigned as a first-team coach in June 2012, Kovač was one of the favourites for taking his position. However, the position went to Roger Schmidt and Kovač subsequently left Salzburg.

Croatia: the under 21 team and senior team

On 21 January 2013, Igor Štimac, head coach of the Croatia national team, announced that Kovač, alongside his brother Robert as assistant coach, would take over as the under-21 team head coach. His task was to qualify for the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championships. Croatia were drawn in Group 5 of the qualifying competition, together with Switzerland, Ukraine, Latvia and Liechtenstein. In the first four games Croatia got the maximum of 12 points with a goal difference of 13–0. He debuted with a 5–0 away win against Liechtenstein, before he brought two away wins against the group favourites Ukraine and Switzerland.

On 16 October 2013, Davor Šuker, president of the Croatian Football Federation (CFF), announced that Niko Kovač would take over as caretaker manager of the Croatia senior team. He replaced Štimac, who was sacked after Croatia scraped into the World Cup playoffs having taken only one point from their last four qualifiers. However, one day later, in an inaugural press conference, Šuker stated the CFF signed a two-year contract with Kovač and his staff including his brother Robert Kovač, Vatroslav Mihačić and Goran Lacković, until the end of Croatia's Euro 2016 campaign. Croatia managed to qualify for the 2014 World cup in Brazil after a win against Iceland (2–0). On 9 September 2015, CFF terminated Kovač's contract following a 2–0 loss to Norway.

Eintracht Frankfurt

Kovač was appointed as the head coach of Eintracht Frankfurt on 8 March 2016. He made his managerial debut for Frankfurt in a 3–0 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach. The club was only able to finish the season in 16th place, requiring them to play in the relegation play-offs against 1. FC Nürnberg. After drawing the first leg 1–1 at home, Kovač ensured Eintracht's survival in the Bundesliga after Haris Seferović's goal won the second leg 1–0. Kovač for his gesture of comforting Nürnberg's players after defeat received Fair Play Prize by DOSB.

In the 2016–17 season, Frankfurt managed to finish mid-table in 11th position, as well notably reaching the 2017 DFB-Pokal Final, club's first final since 2006, where Frankfurt lost 1–2 against Borussia Dortmund. In the 2017–18 season, Frankfurt have competed for a place in European competition for the following season.He defeated his future employers Bayern Munich 3-1 in a sensational 2018 DFB-Pokal Final. Kovač has typically used a 3–4–2–1 formation with emphasis on defensive stability and wing play.

Bayern Munich

On 13 April 2018, Bayern Munich announced that Kovač would succeed Jupp Heynckes as manager of the club for the 2018–19 season, officially taking over from 1 July 2018, with a three-year contract lasting until 30 June 2021. As his contract with Frankfurt was until 2019, the reported release clause is estimated to be around €2.2 million.

Personal life

Kovač is married to his wife Kristina since 1999, and they had known each other since elementary school. They have a daughter Laura. Kovač is a Roman Catholic. He generally lives a quiet family life, and considers a family of great value and tries to convey that to his players.

Career statistics

Club

Club	Season	League			Cup1		Continental2		Other3		Total
		League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Hertha BSC	1991–92	2. Bundesliga Nord	2	0	0	0	—		10	0	12	0
	1992–93	2. Bundesliga	42	1	3	0			—		45	1
	1993–94		32	1	0	0					32	1
	1994–95		31	2	1	0					32	2
	1995–96		31	11	2	0					33	11
	Totals		138	15	6	0	—		10	0	154	15
Bayer Leverkusen	1996–97	Bundesliga	32	3	1	0	—				33	3
	1997–98		18	1	3	1	7	0	1	0	29	2
	1998–99		27	4	1	0	4	0	2	0	34	4
	Totals		77	8	5	1	11	0	3	0	96	9
Hamburger SV	1999–2000	Bundesliga	30	8	1	0	—				31	8
	2000–01		25	4	1	0	9	1	1	0	36	5
	Totals		55	12	2	0	9	1	1	0	67	13
Bayern Munich	2001–02	Bundesliga	16	2	3	1	4	0	3	0	26	3
	2002–03		18	1	4	0	2	1	1	0	25	2
	Totals		34	3	7	1	6	1	4	0	51	5
Hertha BSC	2003–04	Bundesliga	17	1	3	0	1	0	—		21	1
	2004–05		30	4	1	0	—				31	4
	2005–06		28	3	3	1	4	0	1	0	36	4
	Totals		75	8	7	1	5	0	1	0	88	9
Red Bull Salzburg	2006–07	Austrian Bundesliga	28	6	1	0	6	0	—		35	6
	2007–08		25	3	—		4	0			29	3
	2008–09		12	0	0	0	3	0			15	0
	Totals		65	9	1	0	13	0	—		79	9
Career totals			444	55	28	3	44	2	19	0	535	60
Source:

• 1.^ Includes German Cup and Austrian Cup.
• 2.^ Includes UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup.
• 3.^ Includes German League Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and Intercontinental Cup.

International goals

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	29 March 2000	Maksimir, Zagreb	Germany	1 – 1	1 – 1	Friendly
2	5 September 2001	Olimpico, Serravalle	San Marino	1 – 0	4 – 0	World Cup 2002 Qualifying
3	8 May 2002	PMFC, Pécs	Hungary	2 – 0	2 – 0	Friendly
4	11 June 2003	A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn	Estonia	1 – 0	1 – 0	Euro 2004 Qualifying
5	6 September 2003	Comunal, Aixovall	Andorra	1 – 0	3 – 0	Euro 2004 Qualifying
6	21 June 2004	Estádio da Luz, Lisbon	England	1 – 0	2 – 4	Euro 2004
7–8	26 March 2005	Maksimir, Zagreb	Iceland	1 – 0	4 – 0	World Cup 2006 Qualifying
				3 – 0
9	22 June 2006	Gottlieb-Daimler, Stuttgart	Australia	2 – 1	2 – 2	World Cup 2006
10–11	22 August 2007	Koševo, Sarajevo	Bosnia and Herzegovina	3 – 2	5 – 3	Friendly
				5 – 3
12	24 May 2008	Kantrida, Rijeka	Moldova	1 – 0	1 – 0	Friendly
13	31 May 2008	Szusza Ferenc, Budapest	Hungary	1 – 0	1 – 1	Friendly
14	6 September 2008	Maksimir, Zagreb	Kazakhstan	1 – 0	3 – 0	World Cup 2010 Qualifying

Managerial

As of 12 May 2018

Team	From	To	Record
			G	W	D	L	Win %	Ref.
Red Bull Salzburg (A)	16 June 2009	7 April 2011	54	25	11	18	046.30
Croatia	16 October 2013	9 September 2015	19	10	5	4	052.63
Eintracht Frankfurt	8 March 2016	Present	90	37	20	33	041.11
Total			163	72	36	55	044.17	—

Honours

Player

Bayer Leverkusen

• Bundesliga Runner-up: 1996–97, 1998–99

Bayern Munich

• Intercontinental Cup: 2001
• Bundesliga: 2002–03
• DFB-Pokal: 2002–03

Red Bull Salzburg

• Austrian Bundesliga: 2006–07; Runner-Up: 2007–08

Manager

Eintracht Frankfurt

• DFB-Pokal: 2017–18

External links

• Niko Kovač – FIFA competition record (archived)
• Niko Kovač at National-Football-Teams.com
• Niko Kovač at the Croatian Football Federation
• Niko Kovač at Leverkusen Who's Who