After a 5-1 defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt, Niko Kovac has left Bayern Munich by mutual consent. The coach has paid the price for a disappointing start to Bayern's Bundesliga campaign despite winning the double last year.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Becker
Advertisement
Rumors surrounding Niko Kovac's departure started circling on Sunday evening, only for the club to confirm that they'd agreed to relieve the head coach of his duties with a tweet that read simply: "FC Bayern parts ways with Niko Kovac."
"I think at this point in time it's the right decision for the club," said Kovac, who coached Frankfurt before Bayern. "The results and way we have been playing recently have brought me to this conclusion. My brother Robert and I thank FC Bayern for the last year and a half."
'Need for action'
The club confirmed assistant coach Hansi Flick, who returned to the club staff earlier this year, will take charge of the team for Wednesday's Champions League clash with Olympiacos and Saturday's crucial league match with Borussia Dortmund.
"The performance of our team in recent weeks and the results have shown us that there was need for action," said club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
"Uli Hoeness [president], Hasan Salihamidzic [sporting director] and I had an open and serious conversation with Niko on Sunday with the consensual result that Niko is no longer coach of Bayern," he said. "We all regret this development. I would like to thank Niko Kovac on behalf of FC Bayern for his work, especially for winning the double this past season."
After a difficult start to his tenure last term, Kovac went on to win the Bundesliga and the German Cup, though Bayern exited the Champions League to eventual winners Liverpool in the last 16.
Bayern have won the last seven Bundesliga titles but have now had three coaches, including the temporary return of Jupp Heynckes in 2017-18, in the last three years. Kovac's reign of 490 days was longer than that of his permanent predecessor Carlo Ancelotti by 36 days.
Niko Kovac: The key moments that led to his Bayern Munich exit
Bayern Munich's heaviest defeat for a decade might have been the final straw but Niko Kovac has been under pressure for almost his entire reign. DW takes a look back at the key moments that contributed to his departure.
Image: picture-alliance/Frank Hoermann/SvenSimon
Biggest defeat in a decade
Saturday's 5-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt was Bayern's heaviest since 2009 and left them four points off the pace in the Bundesliga, a league they've won for the last seven years. After the defeat, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was scathing, saying the result had been coming and he expected a "turbulent" next few days at the club. He wasn't wrong.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/A. Bongarts/
Misfiring Müller
Thomas Müller was one of those who started the Frankfurt defeat as Kovac looked to re-integrate one of the totems of the Bavarian side. Müller, who hasn't scored in the league since last season, had made it clear he wasn't happy to have been relegated to a bit part role by the loan signing of Philippe Coutinho. Time will tell whether the new coach rates him.
Image: picture-alliance/Frank Hoermann/SvenSimon
Süle's injury exposes defense
Bayern also have big problems at the other end of the pitch, having failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last eight games. Those issues have been exacerbated since Niklas Süle picked up a season-ending injury last month. That led to a recall for an aging Jerome Boateng, sent off early on Saturday, a series of unconvincing makeshift options and questions about the sale of Mats Hummels.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/A. Hassenstein
Boardroom battles
Like most Bayern coaches, Kovac has sometimes found himself a pawn in the political battles at the top of the club. The Croatian was considered the choice of president Uli Hoeness (left) and not a favorite of Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. A bizarre press conference last October where the pair and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic attacked the media and did Kovac few favors in the public perception.
Image: picture-alliance/SvenSimon/F. Hoermann
Failure to land Sane
The strangely public pursuit of Leroy Sane before this season begun ended when the Manchester City and Germany winger sustained a serious injury in the Community Shield, the curtain raiser to the English season. Lacking the statement signing that they wanted, the club moved for Croatia's Ivan Perisic on loan.
Image: Imago Images/Uk Sports/C. Myrie
Departure of legends
Sane's signature was so highly sought because of the departures of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery at the end of last season. The veteran wingers won it all with the club and left a significant hole in Bayern's attacking options and a shortage of top level experience. Kovac has been dealt a tougher hand than many of his predecessors in terms of the playing squad.
Image: Reuters/A. Gebert
Outclassed by Klopp
Though Kovac eventually overhauled Borussia Dortmund to win the Bundesliga title before completing the domestic double, a humbling 3-1 home defeat to Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool in the Champions League last 16 suggested Kovac's side were some way from the top level. With domestic success expected, Europe is huge for Bayern but even a perfect record this season couldn't save Kovac.
After a bllistering start to his Bayern reign comprising four straight league wins, Kovac hit a sticky patch between matchdays 6 and 11 last season. A 3-2 defeat to Bayern Munich on November 10 made it just seven points from six games as BVB flew in to a big early lead. Bayern would eventually overhaul their rivals but the skeptics were already starting to note his weaknesses.