DORTMUND, Germany, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac has played down expectations of a Bundesliga title challenge, saying his side must make significant progress while Bayern Munich would also need to fall below its usual standards for the gap between the two clubs to close.
Kovac made his comments at an international media roundtable in Dortmund on Thursday, two days before Dortmund hosts Bayern in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup at Signal Iduna Park. The match will be the first competitive fixture of the new season for both teams and an early indication of whether Dortmund can move closer to Germany's dominant club.
Bayern enters the match as Bundesliga and German Cup winner, while Dortmund qualified after finishing second in the league last season.
The two teams were the closest rivals for much of the 2025-26 campaign, with Dortmund making a strong recovery after Kovac took charge during the previous season. At one stage, Dortmund reduced Bayern's lead to three points, but the defending champion eventually pulled away to secure the title on Matchday 30.
Bayern finished the season with 89 points, 16 more than Dortmund's 73, and won both Bundesliga meetings between the sides. Bayern earned a 2-1 victory in Munich in October before a 3-2 win in Dortmund in March extended its advantage to 11 points and effectively ended Dortmund's title hopes.
Asked whether Dortmund could mount a stronger challenge this season, Kovac remained realistic.
"Bayern Munich is always the favorite," he said. "We are here to challenge, but last season we were 16 points behind them. 16 is a big gap."
"To close this gap, a lot has to happen. We have to play over our capacities, and Bayern also have to play under their capacity."
The Croatian coach said Dortmund would focus on performances rather than making ambitious predictions.
"I'm a guy who is first working and then speaking," Kovac said. "I don't like to speak first and then to work."
Kovac said the team's level would become clearer after the opening five or six Bundesliga matches, but insisted Dortmund would give everything in pursuit of its goals.
The coach is encouraged by Dortmund's summer rebuild, which saw several experienced players depart while younger talents were brought into the squad.
"We are mixing a good team," Kovac said. "We kept the spine, the experienced players, and now we are trying to create the BVB from the past a little bit, with young talents who are willing to compete."
Kovac emphasized that Dortmund's success will depend on finding the right balance between youth and experience. Younger players can challenge established teammates, while senior figures can demonstrate the standards required to succeed at the highest level.
"The mixture is important," he said. "The experienced players can show the young players what is necessary to become a top player, to become a top professional."
Kovac has built his coaching philosophy around adapting to the players available rather than following a fixed style. Reflecting on his impact since taking over at Dortmund, he said improving fitness, mentality and tactical understanding had all been important.
Asked to define "Niko Kovac football," he rejected the idea that it was simply based on discipline and physical intensity.
"First of all, it's successful football," he said.
"As a coach, you need to see what kind of players you have, what kind of situation you have, and you must always adapt. If you always play the same and you're never adapting, I think you can't be successful." ■
