Niko Kovač: "I want to take Borussia Dortmund back to the top"
New Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovač was officially unveiled at an introductory press conference on Tuesday and gave his thoughts on a number of topics including his aims, playing style and the club's new signings.
Kovač on....
...his aims with Dortmund: "We want to take Dortmund back to where they belong, which is right at the top. Both the club and myself are aiming as high as possible. I don't want to talk about the table. It will only matter where we are at the end of the season. We are hoping to take a win against Stuttgart on Saturday so we can move up again. I think that the league will be decided very late in the season. Nobody will be sure of fourth place two or three matches before the end."
...his playing style: "I think anyone who knows me is aware that we have always played very intensive football wherever I have been. I will demand that everyone gives application and determination on the pitch. That's what our fans demand too. We will try to show that this weekend. We want to show attacking football with lots of deep runs. It will take a bit of time, but I hope we can implement it quickly."
Watch: Kovač takes charge of Dortmund training
...how he would describe himself: "I'm a hard worker, that's the way I was raised. I think that's a good fit here in the Ruhr area. The things I ask for are dedication, aggression and intensity."
...the Dortmund team: "I'm new here and am still forming my impressions. The last three matches were good. Dortmund got seven points out of those. I would like to say a thank you to Mike Tullberg for his work over the last few matches. You can see the team has the quality they need. A lot hinges on confidence, and the players have seen that wins are important. The building blocks for that are good training sessions, good challenges and accurate passes."
...the new signings: "We decided together about the new signings. A lot was prepared in advance, of course, but I was brought into the process early. We all agreed that these players will make us better at this point in time."
Watch: New Dortmund signing Carney Chukwuemeka
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...Emre Can: "I see Emre is a key player, an international who has played for huge clubs. He's really happy playing in central defence right now. He will remain the captain, and I have all my faith in him. Of course performance is the most important aspect, but when that is right, there is no need for a dicsussion."
... Niklas Süle: "Nikki was a regular for me at Bayern. We want to start to integrate him into the squad this week and give him playing time soon. If he stays fit, he's a player who can make the Germany squad for the 2026 World Cup."
Watch: Dortmund win final match before Kovač's arrival at Heidenheim
Also at the press conference was Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken, who said he was convinced the club made the right choice in Kovač: "He has won the Bundesliga, the DFB Cup and has also taken charge of teams in difficult situations. He has got to know the role of the coach in various forms, and his teams have always been marked by application, willpower and physicality."
Sporting director Sebastian Kehl added: "We are sure we have the right man with Niko. He made a very good speech to the team and said what he expects from everyone. He demands clear virtues in the situation we are in. I can feel he and his coaching team are brimming with motivation."
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