Karl-Heinz Rummenigge quickly shut down false reports that Bayern Munich have already decided to sack Niko Kovac at the end of the season.
Niko Kovac has not had it easy in his first season at Bayern Munich. The Croatian, who joined the club last summer from DFB Pokal-winning side Eintracht Frankfurt, has spent his entire tenure under the microscope.
Every single time the Bavarians have stumbled — which has admittedly been quite often this campaign — Kovac and his methods as a coach have come under fire. Despite this, Die Roten are still in pole position to win both the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal with just two games left in the 2018-19 season.
The criticism has nevertheless remained. If anything, it has actually picked up in the final few weeks of the season. Many expect Bayern to part ways with Kovac in the coming months, even if he does secure the club’s first double since 2016.
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Earlier today Spox claimed the Bayern board had already made up their mind about Kovac. Their report suggested the decision to sack him after the DFB Pokal final, regardless of results in the upcoming matches, had already been made. They even went a step further and claimed Mark van Bommel would be the first choice candidate to take over the empty position.
The report caught the attention of all Bayern fans, regardless of how they felt about Niko Kovac. That was, however, until Karl-Heinz Rummenigge expressly denied Spox‘s claim (via Sky Deutschland reporter Torben Hoffmann).
"“There is no such decision. The report is a total duck.”"
Rummenigge is clearly not amused by the report, and rightfully so. It would be harsh to make a decision on a coach who still has two massive games ahead of him that could change the entire course of a season.
Unless Bayern lose the Bundesliga title or DFB Pokal, which is still entirely possible, they need to stick with Niko Kovac going forward. Regardless of where you stand on Kovac and his abilities, you can surely agree that it sets a terrible precedent for potential future coaches to sack a man who has just won a domestic double in his first season.
Beyond that, Kovac has just led the squad to one of the most successful Ruckrunden in the club’s history. He certainly has potential to be a top coach, and Bayern have to allow him an opportunity to have a proper off-season and transfer market to shape this team going forward.