Kovač on Der Klassiker, Guirassy vs. Kane and more

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Niko, you said Bayern are the favourites. Is that true?

Niko Kovač: “We are a big club, that must be said. But Bayern are the record champions. They are by far the team with the most titles. They have really top-class, expensive players. We also have very good players. That’s why I do believe we are a top team. But Bayern are on another level. The results also show that, and that must be said. We don’t want to talk up something that isn’t there. We are good, but Bayern are currently better. That is why Bayern are the top favourites.”

Vincent Kompany said form doesn’t matter – do you agree?

Kovač: “Yes, of course. Every game has its own story, and this is a very important match. I hope that everyone on both sides is fit, so that it can truly be a top game. A lot can happen in a match, and I absolutely agree with that. But you must not overlook the fact that Bayern are there for a reason. They are first in the Champions League, they are first in the Bundesliga. That means he is trying to downplay it a little. But I’ve been in the business too long to fall for that.”

As a coach, you’ve experienced this match from both sides. Are there any differences?

Kovač: “No, there are no differences. Regardless of which side you are on, there is a certain tension, a certain nervousness, and also a sense of expectation. You know exactly how important this game is, both for each individual and for the coach. That’s why there is no difference, whether you are black and yellow or were previously in red.”

As a player, were there ever any moments when things went too far in the Klassiker?

Kovač: “This is a special game. A lot is at stake, because if you achieve a good result against a direct competitor, it can count double. So, every team will try to tip it to their side. We will try, and Bayern will try as well.

"Therefore, I believe it will always remain within the bounds of fairness. Of course, with VAR it’s now more difficult to hide anything that might have been hidden in the past. Everything is now clear and visible, and that’s a good thing, because we want to play football and not kick lumps out of each other.”

Watch: Der Klassiker's most heated moments 

Do you know your personal record in this fixture?

Kovač: “As a coach or also as a player? Either! That’s a good question. [Interviewer: “I can help, three wins, one draw, three defeats.”]. So, even! It’s something that can be improved. I hope that now, in Munich, it will be a positive experience for us. Especially since, clearly, Bayern are the top favourites. We are unbeaten at home, 10 wins in a row. We are also on a good path. But of course, we know that we have to give everything to take something from there.”

Do you have a personal favourite moment from the Klassiker?

Kovač: “I’ll have to think about that. I can’t answer that off the top of my head. These games are always very emotional, very tight. And I think the upcoming match will be the same.”

Watch: The best Klassiker moments!

But it must be great to be part of it, right?

Kovač: “Absolutely. Every single player who ever puts on a team’s jersey, as a young boy, has wished to be part of such a big game, or to be a protagonist there. We are looking forward to it. Now I’m the coach, not a player anymore. But my players, just like the Bayern players, are looking forward to it, and we’ll see how it goes.”

Which stories from the history of Der Klassiker come to your mind immediately?

Kovač: “I wasn’t personally involved, but there have already been a few stories in the past, not in the near past, but further back, back then with Olli Kahn in Dortmund. I don’t know, I think it was wonderful. So there is certainly one thing or another. It’s also good that here in Germany we have such a classic fixture. Other leagues have their own classics too.

"It’s now the seventh matchday, so not much time has passed. Therefore, it’s still relatively early, but it’s nice. We are relatively close together. With a good result, we might be able to close the gap. If it’s a draw, we remain four points behind. But it’s nice, and I think it’s not just all of Germany watching this game, but the whole world, and that is exactly what the Bundesliga wants.”

Why does more always seem to happen in this match than in others?

Kovač: “Every Bundesliga match is important, but this is already a high-level football game in the Bundesliga. These are clearly the top clubs in the league. That’s why the emotion is so much stronger. Many say that emotions must always be high, and they are, but here there is also potential because, I don’t know, 200 TV stations are involved, it’s broadcast worldwide, we play at 6.30pm, it’s a floodlit match, and right now it’s first versus second. So there are many important factors that come into play, and that’s why it has such charm and significance.”

How important is a direct duel with Harry Kane for Serhou Guirassy?

Kovač: “We have to say both are fantastic players, good strikers for the league, very important, but of course also for their respective clubs. At the moment, Harry is leading, but we are of course trying to push Serhou forward as well. At the moment, he tends to set up goals rather than score them himself, but that will come again.

"We know exactly how important Serhou is for us. And if Serhou scores the goals this year that he scored last year, he will certainly have a very good and successful season. That is what I wish for, that is what I hope for, and I hope that after the international break he can show everything he is capable of, because we are very much dependent on him.”

Watch: Guirassy's goals in 2025/26

Is Kane Bayern’s key player for you?

Kovač: “Yes, of course, he scores the goals. He’s also now providing assists. That doesn’t make things any easier, because there are many good players. Clearly, you could single out [Michael] Olise or Serge [Gnabry], who are currently performing really well. Then there’s [Luis] Díaz on one side - it's already a great team. Also, the guys who clean up at the back and contribute there, the ones who do the less glamorous stuff.

"It only works if all 11 participate. So, if you isolate the four up front, nothing successful will come of it. But the team has grown together, is strong technically, and immensely strong in terms of running. That’s also another leap that Bayern have made in the last two years. And when you combine all of that, you see how important footballing quality is, but of course also the physicality, and what that means for a top-level game.”

Watch: Every Bayern goal so far this season

That’s also a parallel to your own team, isn’t it?

Kovač: “Yes, we are now, I would say, a year behind, in quotation marks. I’ve been here for eight months, Vincent is already in his second year. We are working on catching up. I said it at the end of the season - or rather at the start of the season - we were 25 points behind. Of course, we are trying to reduce that, to eliminate 25 points in one go. That is very, very difficult, and I don’t think it’s achievable in that way. But we want to close the gap, we want to improve - that is our goal, we focus on ourselves. If we improve, I think the gap to Bayern will also become smaller. And that is the goal now.”

Watch: Dortmund in Klassiker form

How far along are you in developing greater defensive stability?

Kovač: “I think we’ve managed to get both aspects right now. We’re scoring a lot of goals, and that’s still very important because that’s how you can win matches. But it’s also about the ability to defend. It’s not just the defenders or the goalkeeper who are involved, but every single player. It starts up front with the striker. And you have to make the players aware of that, especially the attacking ones, who tend to let someone slip through from time to time.

"That’s happening less and less now. I’m pleased with that, because it also increases the likelihood of winning matches. If you don’t concede a goal, with the quality we have, you win a lot of matches. If you concede one then you have the quality to score another and still not lose. And that’s what I try to explain to the lads. Because not only us, but also the top sides in Europe, the top players, all have to defend together to be successful.”

Watch: Nico Schlotterbeck's best passes

Who are the unsung heroes of BVB’s strong development?

Kovač: “I think you could say everyone is. Of course, I’m the coach now, and I have to see the whole picture. What we’ve created at the moment, together, that’s the entire team. You can’t single anyone out, neither up front nor at the back, because we win and lose together. It’s a standard saying, but it’s true. And that’s why I want to give compliments to the team, because they’ve earned it, and now they, of course, also have to continue defending it.”

You have quoted a famous coach, Giovanni Trapattoni, how did that come about?

Kovač: “Giovanni Trapattoni was my coach back in Salzburg. A fantastic person, a great coach. With his experience and his age, he already had a lot of knowledge and insight. That saying of his really stuck with me. That one point can be very valuable at the end of the season. It’s about the atmosphere, but it’s also about the point you take with you.”

It’s a sentence that fits your last few months here at Dortmund quite well, doesn’t it?

Kovač: “The team has developed in a good direction. We have consistency, we have continuity. The players know what we expect – the routines with and without the ball. Only that gives us the chance of winning matches. When every single player knows what the others are doing, or what needs to be done during the game. A big compliment has to go to the lads, because they take it on board and try to implement it every day in training. And, of course, at the weekend, which is very important.”

Trapattoni also said a good coach doesn’t see the game with his eyes, but with his heart. Is he right?

Kovač: “Yes, that’s right. He used to be a player himself, just like me. We’ve experienced many situations ourselves as players. But then also the number of games we’ve already coached as trainers. It’s kind of like, he talks about the heart, but it’s probably also about the gut. As they say, you have to trust your gut feeling. Sometimes you have to make decisions in a game that you can’t make rationally. It’s more about emotions. What do I see, what do I feel in the moment, and then you make your decision.”

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