Optimism is returning to Borussia Dortmund as the club prepares for a new campaign, and the atmosphere at the training ground suggests that the team is not merely rebuilding but attempting to reclaim a lost identity. Head coach Niko Kovač summed up the situation succinctly: "Overall, we are mixing a good team." He went on to explain the strategic changes that have taken place during the off‑season. "Four players left. We brought in some fresh talent and also added an experienced head," Kovač said.
"We kept the core – the seasoned goalkeeper, the central defender, and the midfield anchor – and we are now trying to recreate the Dortmund we loved in the past." In other words, the club is focusing on players who can excite the supporters packed into the famed Yellow Wall, athletes who can deliver the high‑tempo, counter‑pressing, rock‑and‑roll style that defined the team during the Jurgen Klopp era. That brand of football relies less on possession dominance and more on intensity, speed, and emotional flair. In recent years Dortmund drifted away from this philosophy. The recruitment policy shifted toward older, more cautious signings, a move many interpreted as an attempt to safeguard Champions League qualification by playing it safe.
That approach felt at odds with the club’s DNA, which traditionally embraces risk‑taking and attacking verve. The experienced recruit Kovač referenced is 27‑year‑old midfielder Joey Veerman, who arrived from PSV Eindhoven. However, the headline grabbers for fans are the two Greek wingers: the eye‑catching Giannis Konstantelias and the 18‑year‑old prodigy Konstantin Karetsas. Their arrival has sparked lively discussion among the Dortmund faithful.
During the Franz‑Beckenbauer Supercup, the atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park surged when Konstantelias entered the match in the second half and immediately began probing Bayern Munich’s defence. Dortmund were clawing their way back from a two‑goal deficit, and his energy injected a fresh spark that resonated with the crowd.
After the game, veteran Norwegian Julian Ryerson spoke about the new arrivals: "It looks positive, yeah. We also had some good players last year but I hope it takes us to a new level, of course.
I hope and I think that we are on a good path." His optimism reflects a broader sentiment within the squad that the additions could elevate the team’s performance. The challenge ahead is significant. Key contributors from the previous season, such as Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt, have departed, leaving a void in goal‑scoring firepower. Kovač acknowledged the difficulty: "We need to replace these goals, it is clear.
Of course, when you buy new players, you never know if it is going to work or not." Yet that uncertainty is part of the excitement for a club that thrives on daring ambition. Under the guidance of the new sporting director Ole Bock, Dortmund are daring to dream again.
"Expectations are high because, especially the offensive players, the two Greek ones, they have big talent," Bock remarked. The question now is whether Kovač can coax that talent into consistent results. Kovač’s coaching style is often described as pragmatic and hard‑working, favouring sweat over flash.
He has a proven track record, having lifted the DFB‑Pokal with Eintracht Frankfurt and secured a domestic double with Bayern Munich. Still, his tactical approach sometimes draws criticism for being less inventive than that of his more celebrated peers. He has experimented with inverting wing‑backs, but his adjustments rarely dominate headlines the way Vincent Kompany’s Bayern tactics do. When asked what his football philosophy entails, Kovač admitted the term was something he once heard from a friend.
"Successful football," he replied. He emphasised that success is measured by results, not by adhering to a particular aesthetic. "If someone likes my style, that is up to them.
For me, we are successful. Since we arrived, we have done a very good job.
As a coach, you need to see what kind of players you have, what situation you are in, and you must always adapt," he explained. Kovač arrived at Dortmund in late January 2025, when the club was languishing in the lower half of the Bundesliga table, its identity in tatters, and European qualification looking bleak. His impact was immediate.
In an interview with chief executive Carsten Cramer, the latter praised Kovač’s influence: "Imagine what happened when we hired him one‑and‑a‑half years ago. We were in regions we never should be and he brought us to the Champions League." Cramer added, "He is committed.
He loves to work for the club. Black and yellow fits him, I would say, much better than the red and white of Bayern or the green and white of Wolfsburg.
I am 100 % sure that he is the right man at the right moment." Kovač’s tactical adjustments were swift. Initially, Dortmund deployed a back four, but after a few matches it became clear that the system was not delivering. He switched to a back five, providing more defensive stability while allowing the wing‑backs to join the attack. He also placed a strong emphasis on physical conditioning.
"The squad was planned with a back four, but after two or three games we saw it was not working so we changed into the back five," he said. "The physical capacities, how I see football, how I see a fully fit player, were not there. So we worked on this. With those physical abilities you're immediately a better football player." Kovač believes that fitness simplifies decision‑making on the pitch.
"Without those physical abilities, you are calculating. Should I run backwards? Should I run forward? Should I defend?
Should I attack?" he explained. "If you are fitter, you just do it." The transformation bore fruit. Dortmund finished fourth that season, securing a platform that they built upon to finish second the following year.
The gap to Bayern Munich narrowed from 25 points in Kovač’s first season to 16 points in the next, indicating steady progress. Yet a genuine title challenge still feels out of reach. "To close this gap, a lot must happen.
Dortmund must play above themselves," Kovač warned. He also noted that Bayern’s own form matters: "It is also important that Bayern Munich is not playing top," he conceded. Recent frustrations have stemmed from missed opportunities—Dortmund squandered a title chance on the final day in 2023, and Bayer Leverkusen ended Bayern’s dominance in 2024.
Nevertheless, the blend of Kovač’s disciplined approach and the high ceiling of the new talent offers a renewed sense of possibility. Can Dortmund finally reclaim the glory that seemed to slip away?
Kovač remains modest: "I do not like to speak first and then work," he said with a smile. "I think the opposite way is better." The club’s fans, the media, and the broader football community will be watching closely as Dortmund embarks on this new chapter, hoping that the combination of seasoned leadership, youthful exuberance, and a return to the club’s attacking roots will usher in a period of sustained success.