AS Monaco part ways with Niko Kovac
Departure: Niko Kovac had a good first year in Monaco, most recently the development stagnated
Source: AFP / VALERY HACHE
His team is only two points behind second place in the table, the club went into the winter break with a win. Nevertheless, AS Monaco has parted ways with coach Niko Kovac. It’s about fundamentals.
Dhe former Bayern coach Niko Kovac has been given leave of absence as head coach at the AS Monaco soccer club, according to a media report. The people in charge of the French first division team informed the 50-year-old Croat on Thursday that he was no longer responsible for the team, wrote the newspaper “L’Équipe”. Kovac was therefore not particularly surprised by the decision, but looked taken. An official confirmation of the club for the separation was initially pending.
The former Bundesliga professional Kovac had done well in his first season with Monaco and finished third in the French championship. In the summer, however, the team missed qualifying for the Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk from Ukraine.
Even after that, things didn’t go smoothly. The Kovac team around the former German U21 national goalkeeper Alexander Nübel and national player Kevin Volland lost against the top teams in Ligue 1. After the first half of the season, the Monegasque are only sixth in the table. However, second and third place are only four points away.
Duel with Messi: Goalkeeper Alexander Nübel is between the posts at AS Monaco
Source: AFP / FRANCK FIFE
Monaco Sunday in the cup without Kovac
In the past few days there had already been rumors that those responsible were not satisfied with Kovac. The lack of further development of the team was a problem, it said. He was unable to raise the level of his team, nor did he advance the players individually.
The last game before the Christmas break Monaco had won 2-1 against the current fourth-placed Stade Rennes, for Kovac it should have been the last game as head coach of the Ligue 1 club in the Principality. On Sunday, Monaco will continue in the Coupe de France at the second division US Quevilly-Rouen Metropole. Last season, the Monegasque reached the final, but lost the final against Paris Saint-Germain.
From July 2018 to November 2019, Kovac was the coach of FC Bayern and won the double in 2019. The Croat had come from Eintracht Frankfurt and had previously won the cup final with the Hessians against his future employer.
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