As Kovac prepares his team for the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup on Saturday, he once again spoke about the gap between his team and Bayern Munich during a media conference attended by NDTV during its Germany visit. Dortmund: Fresh season, fresh hopes for the German Bundesliga, but Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac is keeping expectations realistic, at least at the start. Dortmund finished second in the 2025-26 season, but were 16 points behind champions Bayern Munich.
Ahead of the 202627 Bundesliga season, Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac told NDTV that a title challenge requires his team to hit peak form while Bayern Munich perform below their usual standard.
When asked by NDTV what his message would be for football fans in India who are backing Dortmund to prevent the Bayern machinery from winning yet another Bundesliga title, Kovac was candid. “As a former player and as a coach, it’s easy to say words, but the hardest part is to act on what you say. So, you can always expect Bayern Munich to be the favourites. “We are here to challenge. “First of all, we have to play above our capacity. Secondly, Bayern Munich would also need to perform below their level. It isn’t just about us playing at top level; it also depends on Bayern not playing at theirs. Of course, we are here to succeed, but we must also remember that other teams are pushing hard from behind.
Because we are BVB,” he said, it isn’t easy just. Look at this century from 2000 onwards; we are in 2026, and Bayern Munich have won the title around 18 times. Last season, we finished 16 points behind them, down from 25 points the year before, but 16 points is still a huge gap.
To bridge that gap, a lot has to happen,” the Croatian said, acknowledging that the divide between Dortmund and Bayern cannot be bridged overnight.
Kovac wants to realistically evaluate their chances after the opening five or six matches While Dortmund are not writing off their Bundesliga title hopes before the campaign has even begun.
