KJust nine months after the bitter dismissal at Bayern Munich, Niko Kovac’s return to the football stage is perfect: The Croatian should lead the French first division club AS Monaco back on the road to success as a new coach. The club confirmed the 48-year-old’s commitment on Sunday evening, Kovac signed a three-year contract with the option of a longer collaboration.
Kovac had inherited Jupp Heynckes for the 2018/19 season as a proud DFB Cup winner with Eintracht at Bayern. In his first year he won the double. After a disappointing start to the following season and a 1: 5 loss to his former employer Frankfurt, Kovac was fired in Munich in early November. His assistant coach Hansi Flick replaced him.
After Kovac, with whom Bayern bosses Uli Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge were already divided on the commitment and who had lost the trust of numerous players at the end of his tenure, it became quiet.
Originally England, Spain and Italy in the game
In the past few months, the former Croatian national coach has been repeatedly associated with various clubs. Kovac was also a candidate for the Bundesliga clubs Borussia Dortmund and Hertha BSC.
He was considering a comeback on the coaching bench before the outbreak of the corona crisis. “I assume that it will be something again in the summer, I am preparing for that,” said Kovac at “Sport und Talk aus der Hangar-7” at ServusTV at the end of February. At the time, however, he named the leagues in England, Spain and Italy as interesting addresses.
But now it has become France. His predecessor Robert Moreno, who had only taken on the job at the beginning of the year, was fired on Sunday. According to media reports, the Spaniard had to leave because he did not fit the club’s new philosophy.
Season start in one month
The Monegasque ended the season in Ligue 1, which had been canceled due to the Corona crisis, on the ninth place in the table and thus missed the qualification for an international competition.
Under Moreno, the former Champions League finalist had been victorious in the last three games before the premature end of the season. The two predecessors of the 42-year-old, Thierry Henry and Leonardo Jardim, were also unable to put the eight-time French title holder back on the road to success.
Kovac now gets the chance to build something new after two disappointing seasons with the 2017 champion. The team is currently preparing for the new season. From August 23, the ball should roll in the league again. For Kovac, the first game against Stade Reims is serious on the sidelines.
.
