OFFICIAL: Bayern confirm Kovac as Heynckes successor

Kovac is currently in charge at Frankfurt, where he has done an impressive job, taking them up to fifth in the Bundesliga, which evidently caught Bayern's eye.

The German giants have announced that he will take over from Heynckes at the end of this season, representing an injection of youth, with 46-year-old Kovac 26 years younger than veteran Heynckes.

Although the current manager has done an impressive job, leading his side to a Bundesliga title and a Champions League semi-final, he was never expected to stay long term, and joined the club as a caretaker after Carlo Ancelotti got the sack in October.

Kovac is a former Bayern player, having donned the red and white jersey between 2001 and 2003, and has also previously managed the Croatian national team.

"Niko was a player at Bayern, he is very familiar with the people involved as well as the structure and the DNA of the club," said Bayern's sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.

"We are convinced that he is the right coach for the future of Bayern," he added. 

Kovac will also bring his 44-year-old brother Robert Kovac from Frankfurt as assistant coach.

Born in Berlin to Croatian parents, both brothers played for the Croatian national team as well as Bayern.

The elder Kovac was also coach of the Croatian team with his brother as assistant manager.

Bayern did not reveal the cost of poaching Kovac, but both Bild and Sport Bild claimed that his departure before the end of his Frankfurt contract in 2019 would cost Bayern 2.2 million euros ($2.7 million).

Both Frankfurt and Bayern last week denied that Kovac was on his way to Munich.

Kovac himself also said that "there is no reason to doubt that I will be the coach of Frankfurt next season".

Bayern have been desperately hunting replacements for Heynckes, who came out of retirement temporarily when Carlo Ancelotti was sacked in October after a series of poor results.

Most recently, Germany's World Cup-winning head coach Joachim Loew ruled himself out, insisting he intended to honour his contract with the national team which runs until 2020.

Former Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel had already turned down Bayern and is expected to be the next coach of Paris Saint-Germain.

He has been given a three year contract at the club, and will part ways with Frankfurt at the end of the season. 

 

April 13, 2018