Borussia Dortmund announced on Tuesday that it has renewed the contract with head coach Niko Kovac, extending the contract by one year from its original expiration date of 2026 to June 30, 2027.

Kovac, 53, initially coached the youth team of Red Bull Salzburg before moving on to coaching Croatia's U21 team, Croatia, Frankfurt, Bayern Munich, Monaco, and Wolfsburg. He won a German Cup with Frankfurt and also led Bayern Munich to a Bundesliga title, German Cup, and German Super Cup.

In February 2025, Kovac was appointed Dortmund's new head coach following the dismissal of Nuri Sahin. Under his leadership, Dortmund rose from 11th in the Bundesliga to 4th, successfully qualifying for this season's Champions League.

Commenting on Kovac's contract extension, Dortmund's Managing Director Lars Ricken said: "Niko is fully committed to his work at Dortmund. He is a football expert with clear principles, sincere and direct in his communication, and he values results and performance. Under his disciplined leadership, we have returned to winning ways, solidified our defense, significantly increased our goal tally, and once again displayed a brand of football that is truly entertaining to watch."

"From the outset, the contract renewal negotiations were fair, respectful, and solution-oriented. It is this mutual trust that has laid the foundation for our cooperation."

Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl added: "We are very happy about the contract extension for Nico and his coaching staff. This clarity is important for everyone and helps us focus fully on the new season and the upcoming tasks."

“We strive for maximum success and aim to compete in every race with unwavering conviction, determination and passion. Nico and his team live these values day in, day out, and we are confident we can continue the momentum from last season’s successful final sprint.”

Kovac himself said: "In the past six months, we have achieved a lot together and put Dortmund back on track at the competitive level. As a coaching team, we feel a huge trust and have a feeling that we can push the team forward together with the club and the fans."

"The discussions over the past few weeks have further strengthened my conviction that we are fully capable of continuing on the path we have set and achieving sustained success. With sincere work, clear decisions and great joy, we hope to restore Dortmund to its former glory. We still have a lot of work to do."