Borussia Dortmund have announced the appointment of Croatian Niko Kovac as their new manager after sacking Nuri Sahin last week.

Sahin lost his job as the Dortmund manager after the Bundesliga club suffered four straight losses in the first month of 2025. Dortmund then appointed Mike Tullberg as the interim manager for the last two games.

Kovac, who led Dortmund’s rivals Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title and the German Cup double in 2018-19, has signed a contract until June 2026. Kovac will take over as the new manager of Dortmund after their league match in Heidenheim.

“We’ve held intensive talks with Niko Kovac over the past few days and have consciously taken the time to get to know each other and our expectations,” Dortmund Managing Director of Sport Lars Ricken said in a statement.

“Niko’s teams have always been characterised by energy, determination and a sense of the importance of team spirit. We want to feel and see all of this both on and off the pitch.

“We find ourselves in a challenging situation and are certain that in Niko we have found a coach who is capable of overcoming it.”

Kovac has previously managed Eintracht Frankfurt and VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, as well as Ligue 1 side AS Monaco.

He will be joined by his brother, former Dortmund player Robert Kovac, and Filip Tapalovic as assistant coaches.

Kovac’s primary objective will be to improve Dortmund’s league standing after they dropped to 11th place, six points adrift of the top four.

The club secured a spot in the Champions League playoffs on Wednesday after finishing 10th in the new group-stage format. They will face either Sporting or Club Brugge in a two-legged playoff next month.

“The most important thing for all of us now is to have absolute determination, a big heart and the willingness to work hard to represent Borussia Dortmund in the best possible way in the Bundesliga, the Champions League and at the Club World Cup in the summer,” Kovac said.

“We are taking on this challenge with determination and focus.”