Ottmar Hitzfeld backs Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac
Ottmar Hitzfeld believes Niko Kovac is the right manager for Bayern Munich after bringing the German club back into the Bundesliga title race.
It has been a season of mixed fortunes for Bayern Munich. The German giants are currently involved in a tight title race with Borussia Dortmund and are also in the semifinals of the DFB Pokal. There have been some good results this season, but there have also been some embarrassing ones which have highlighted the need of some new personnel in the squad.
After they were linked with several managers at the end of last season, the Bayern board surprisingly opted to hire Niko Kovac. The Croatian has been on the receiving end of much criticism at various points throughout the season. However, there has been some strong support for the Croatian from former Bayern Munich manager Ottmar Hitzfeld.
Speaking to Omnisport (via Goal), Hitzfeld insisted that Kovac has the needed qualities to be a Bayern manager. He further added that Bayern’s recent results in the Bundesliga — prior to their draw with Freiburg — are further proof of Kovac’s good managerial abilities. The former German manager has also backed Bayern to surpass Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga title race.
"“From day one I was convinced that Niko Kovac would master the switch to Bayern Munich. He is a very meticulous coach who pays a lot of attention to details, and he is a great motivator.“So he passed the exam, he managed to get through the rough patch they had in the Bundesliga, and fortunately Uli Hoeness and Karl-Heinz-Rummenigge continued to trust in him and continue to be convinced of him. That’s paying off now and that’s why the consistency returned to Bayern’s games.”"
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Kovac came under fire heavily when Bayern went through a really rough patch in October and November. Bayern lost to Borussia Dortmund in the first Klassiker of the season at the end of November, falling further behind the Bundesliga leaders. The Bayern chiefs still publicly backed Kovac, but insisted that results need to improve.
The tide started to turn for the Croatian manager when he settled for a fixed system and formation at the start of December. Bayern went into the winter break with a string of good results under their belt. They maintained their form after the break and eventually nullified Dortmund’s lead at the top. Bayern suffered a minor setback last weekend, though, when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Freiburg.
Kovac recently came under fire once again after Bayern’s Champions League exit at the hands of Liverpool. The Bavarians delivered a solid performance at Anfield, but they were completely outplayed on their home turf by the English side. They will hope that Kovac is more astute in Europe next season, as the club has not won the elusive trophy since 2013.
dark. Next. Niko Kovac needs a big win in Der Klassiker
It would be a knee-jerk decision by Bayern to relieve Kovac from his duties if they fail to win the Bundesliga this season. The Croatian recently slammed his critics and insisted he is ready to lead Bayern next season with numerous summer recruits. Kovac has shown some signs of promise, but he will have to make sure that Bayern are more consistent next season. This time next year will be the perfect time to evaluate Kovac’s position at the club.