Optimism is once again bubbling at Borussia Dortmund as a fresh campaign looms for the German heavyweight. The atmosphere around the club suggests not merely a reconstruction, but a revival of a spirit that seemed to have faded. Head coach Niko Kovač summed it up at the training complex: “Overall, we are blending a solid squad.” He went on to explain, “Three players have departed.
We have brought in a handful of promising talents and also added one seasoned professional. We retained the core – the experienced figures, the goalkeeper, the central defender, the midfield anchor. Now we are trying to rebuild the BVB we remember from the past.” In practice, that means recruiting the kind of players who can ignite the iconic Yellow Wall, those who can deliver the high‑tempo, rock‑and‑roll style that defined Dortmund during the Jurgen Klopp era – aggressive pressing, swift transitions, and a palpable emotional edge.
In recent seasons the club drifted away from that DNA. The focus shifted toward older signings, a cautious approach aimed at safeguarding Champions League spots rather than embracing the daring, attacking football that fans cherish. It felt less like Dortmund and more like a safety‑first project. Kovač’s seasoned addition is 27‑year‑old Dutch midfielder Joey Veerman from PSV Eindhoven.
Yet the headline grabs most attention: the arrival of two Greek wingers – the eye‑catching Giannis Konstantelias and the 18‑year‑old prodigy Konstantin Karetsas. Their signing has set the supporter base abuzz. During the Franz‑Beckenbauer Supercup, the atmosphere inside Signal Iduna Park crackled when Konstantelias entered at halftime and immediately pressed Bayern Munich’s back line. Dortmund were clawing back from a two‑goal deficit, and his energy seemed to spark a revival.
After the match, veteran Norwegian Julian Ryerson spoke about his new teammates: “It looks positive, yeah. We had good players last season, but I hope this takes us to a new level. I think we’re on the right track.” The task ahead is far from simple. The departures of Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt – two players who embodied the club’s black‑and‑yellow ethos – left a noticeable void.
“We need to replace those goals, that’s clear,” Kovač admitted. “When you bring in new faces, there’s always uncertainty about whether they’ll click.” That uncertainty, however, is part of the excitement.
Dortmund are daring to dream again, betting on raw potential under the guidance of new sporting director Ole Böck. “Expectations are high, especially for the two Greek forwards – they possess immense talent,” he noted.
Can Kovač coax that talent into consistent performance? He is a proven winner, yet his reputation leans toward hard work and discipline rather than flamboyant inspiration.
It will be intriguing to see whether his framework allows the youngsters to flourish. When asked to define his football philosophy, Kovač replied candidly, “Successful football.” He has a respectable résumé – a cup triumph with Eintracht Frankfurt and a domestic double with Bayern Munich – but critics sometimes label his style as pragmatic compared with more celebrated tacticians. He has experimented with inverting wing‑backs, but his tactical tweaks rarely dominate headlines the way Vincent Kompany’s do at Bayern.
“I don’t mind if people like my style or not,” he said. “For me, success matters.
Since we arrived, we’ve done a very good job. A coach must assess the players he has, the situation, and constantly adapt.” That adaptability was evident when Kovač took over Dortmund in late January 2025, with the club languishing in the lower half of the Bundesliga, stripped of identity, and with European qualification looking distant.
He reshaped the back line from a four‑man defense to a five‑man unit after a few games, acknowledging that the original system wasn’t delivering. Dortmund’s chief executive Carsten Cramer remains grateful for the turnaround. “When we hired him a year and a half ago, we were in a place we never should have been.
He guided us back to the Champions League.” Cramer added, “He’s committed, he loves the club. The black‑and‑yellow fits him better than the red‑and‑white of Bayern or the green‑and‑white of Wolfsburg. I’m convinced he’s the right man at the right moment.” Kovač also emphasized the importance of physical conditioning.
“The squad started with a back‑four, but after a few matches we saw it wasn’t working, so we switched to a back‑five. Tactically that made sense, but we also realized the players lacked the fitness levels needed for our style. Better fitness makes decision‑making on the pitch easier.
When you’re fit you don’t have to calculate whether to run back or forward – you just do it.” Implementing those fitness standards took time; players tend to revert to old habits when they feel uncomfortable. Yet the effort paid off: Dortmund finished fourth that season, then climbed to second place the following year, narrowing the gap to Bayern Munich from 25 points to 16. Even with that progress, a genuine title challenge still feels distant.
“To close that gap, a lot has to happen,” Kovač warned. “We also need Bayern not to be at their absolute best.” Recent frustrations have stemmed from missed chances – the club squandered a title on the final day in 2023 and watched Bayer Leverkusen halt Bayern’s streak in 2024. Nevertheless, the blend of Kovač’s disciplined approach with the high ceiling of the new talent rekindles hope among the fanbase. “I don’t like to talk first and then work,” he smiled.
“I think the opposite works better.” The upcoming season will reveal whether Dortmund can translate that optimism into trophies, but the foundations of a revived BVB are unmistakably being laid.