"Borussia Dortmund Peak Not Enough, Bayern Munich Must Slip": Niko Kovac On Bundesliga Title Hunt

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. 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.

Having coached Bayern himself in the past, Kovac admitted that catching up with the Bavarian giants is not only about Dortmund reaching their peak, but also about Vincent Kompany's men failing to perform at their usual level.

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. Look at this century from 2000 onwards; we are in 2026, and Bayern Munich have won the title around 18 times. So, you can always expect Bayern Munich to be the favourites.

"We are here to challenge. 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.

"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. It isn't easy just because we are BVB," he said.

Still relatively young in his coaching career, Kovac believes in letting his work on the field do the talking. For him, the order matters: work first, words later.

While Dortmund are not writing off their Bundesliga title hopes before the campaign has even begun, Kovac wants to realistically evaluate their chances after the opening five or six matches.

"It always takes hard work. I am someone who prefers to work first and speak later, rather than talk first and then work. The opposite way is always better. Let's see how we start the season. After the first five or six games in the Bundesliga, we can assess whether it's possible to attack more or not. But you can be sure that we will give it everything," he concluded. 

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