Latest news with #NikoKovac
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kovac addresses the heat and the Club World Cup kick-off time
Niko Kovac talked about the heat in the FIFA Club World Cup games following Borussia Dortmund's defeat against Real Madrid. He suggested the kick-off time would be made later for the next tournament in the United States.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Borussia Dortmund plan contract discussions with Karim Adeyemi
Borussia Dortmund plan to speak to Karim Adeyemi in the winter to discuss a possible contract extension beyond 2027, according to Sport Bild. Should an agreement not be found, then it's likely that Adeyemi will be sold in 2026 when he only has 12 months remaining on his contract, as BVB don't want to go into the 2026/27 season with the 23-year-old in the final year of his contract. Advertisement Because of the remaining time on his deal, the fee Borussia Dortmund will receive would be significantly less than the €65m-€70m fee they've commanded for the German forward should he be sold this summer. Although there are two years remaining on his current deal, Die Schwarzgelben have no intention of selling Adeyemi this summer, but that could change should a club meet their asking price. Borussia Dortmund need Karim Adeyemi With a contract until 2027, Adeyemi established himself as an important player under Niko Kovac. This came after the German attacker almost left the club for Napoli in January. And now with Gittens' departure and an injury to Julien Duranville, Adeyemi will again be at the forefront of Dortmund's attacking plans. The 23-year-old has created a formidable partnership with Serhou Guirassy, which BVB will want to keep heading into the 2025/26 season. GGFN | Daniel Pinder
New York Times
07-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Jamie Gittens to Chelsea: Transfers TLDR
Chelsea confirmed the signing of Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of £48.5million with a potential £3.5m in add-ons over the weekend. The 20-year-old has signed a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge. As part of this summer's transfer coverage on The Athletic, in addition to breaking news, tactical analysis and in-depth reads, our Transfers TLDR series (you can read them all here) will bring you a quick guide to each of the key deals. A former member of Manchester City's academy, Gittens moved to Dortmund in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. He made his debut the next season, but a succession of untimely injuries stymied his progress, meaning he was unable to establish himself until the 2023-24 season. Initially, that was as a difference-making substitute under Edin Terzic, who used him to break games open and target isolated full-backs, but Gittens became much more of a focal point in the first half of Dortmund's campaign last season, providing nearly all the thrust down the left side before fatigue and Nuri Sahin's departure as coach slowed his progress. Seb Stafford-Bloor Perhaps a slow start? Gittens' game is built on speed and skill, but also confidence, and he was short of that towards the end of his time at Dortmund. Niko Kovac changed the team's formation, moving away from using wingers, meaning Gittens' minutes on the pitch tended to occur in unfamiliar roles. Advertisement It showed, too, in tentative displays and a lack of rhythm. But, when fully confident, he is a counter-attacking threat, but also capable of disrupting a low-block through the speed of his footwork and capacity to get shots off under pressure. He's good in space, but he doesn't necessarily need it to be effective. Defending? A work in progress. He does not contribute a lot without the ball and that's an area that will have to improve. It will come with more experience, though. Seb Stafford-Bloor Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto are currently Chelsea's only reliable wingers. Jadon Sancho has departed, Mykhailo Mudryk is still suspended, and Geovany Quenda is only 17. In that context, Gittens is a necessary addition. The 20-year-old is a front-footed winger who enjoys one-on-one duels. His 9.3 take-ons per 90 was the highest among wide players in the Bundesliga last season. A success rate of 45 per cent at such a high volume is testament to his dribbling ability. Gittens' acceleration and trickery, along with his comfort with the ball at either foot, make him a difficult assignment. He is a threat in transition, but fitting into Enzo Maresca's more measured style and Chelsea's pressing scheme will take time. Gittens' eight Bundesliga goals last season hinted that his final product is improving, too. Anantaajith Raghuraman In his teenage years, injuries were a significant issue for Gittens. Torn ankle ligaments kept him sidelined for around four months in the late summer and autumn of 2021 before persistent shoulder issues kept him out for four different spells, two of which were lengthy, in 2022 and 2023. Since then, he has not missed any football due to injuries, sitting out just a few days of training last season due to a minor knock. Steve Madeley 'His development is great,' Lars Ricken, Dortmund's chief executive for sport, told The Athletic in October 2024. 'When we signed him, it was really a cooperation between our scouting, professional and youth departments. He perhaps wasn't on the level of someone like Jadon Sancho, but we said, 'OK, we can develop him into a great player'. Advertisement 'I think he made his debut under Marco Rose (in April 2022), but since then it's been great development.' Steve Madeley Gittens has joined Chelsea on a seven-year deal, signing up for life at Stamford Bridge until June 2032. Chelsea have paid Borussia Dortmund an initial £48.5m for Gittens, who leaves Germany five years after joining Dortmund from Manchester City's youth setup. A further £3.5m could be due in future add-ons. Chris Weatherspoon Assuming agent fees of 10 per cent on the transfer plus associated levies, Gittens' signing will add £11.1m in amortisation costs to Chelsea's annual expenses, at least in terms of profit and sustainability calculations, up to the end of the 2029-30 season. While Gittens has signed a seven-year deal with his new side, both Premier League and UEFA regulations dictate clubs can only amortise transfer fees over a maximum of five years. There'll therefore be a disconnect between Gittens' annual cost in Chelsea's PSR calculation against their publicly disclosed accounts. In the latter, Gittens' fee will be amortised at a rate of £7.9m annually over seven years – £3.2m less than the annual PSR cost. Gittens' wage is unknown, but with a seven-year contract inked, it's clear the total cost to Chelsea of buying and keeping him will stretch some way beyond the estimated £55.3m in initial fees spent. For Dortmund, acquiring Gittens at a young age from City's academy means they're able to bank just about all of the £48.5m fee as profit in 2025-26. Owing to his age when he departed City, no sell-on clause was possible in respect of Gittens either, so Dortmund retain all of the fee, with one small exception. Gittens completing an international transfer means five per cent of the fee paid by Chelsea, or £2.4m, is distributed as a solidarity payment to those clubs with a hand in his development up to the age of 23. The catch here is Gittens is still only 20, so Dortmund also retain a majority of that sum. The Athletic estimates Gittens' youth spells at Reading and Manchester City entitle the pair to around £0.4m each. Dortmund, by extension, will bank just shy of £48m profit on the sale. Chris Weatherspoon
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dortmund leave Club World Cup hopeful for the future
orussia Dortmund Niko Kovac is pictured before FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final match between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Metlife Stadium. David Klein/CSM via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Borussia Dortmund hope that their Club World Cup adventure will be a stepping stone towards better results in the future. Dortmund have generated more then €100 million ($118 million) from income at the tournament in the United States as well as the sale of players over the past weeks, led by Jamie Gittens' move to Chelsea for a reported €65 million. Advertisement Sporting director Sebastian Kehl said after Saturday's 3-2 quarter-final defeat against Real Madrid that at least part of the money will be reinvested. "Something will happen on the transfer market. We will definitely do something. We will make the team better than last year," Kehl said. Dortmund marketing managing director Carsten Cramer told dpa that "we do have a few advantages" but that they also "worked hard for them". That includes qualifying for the Club World Cup with its $1 billion prize money with good showings such as reaching the Champions League final in 2024. Advertisement "We are eighth in the European ranking, were in the Champions League quarter-finals and are now among the best eight in the world. That is something to be proud of," managing director for sport Lars Ricken told dpa. However, Dortmund will need to make efforts to establish themselves as biggest rivals of Bayern Munich in Germany and also to shine on the international stage. Dortmund only reached the next Champions League via a strong Bundesliga finish for fourth place under new coach Niko Kovac, and they were largely outplayed by star-studded Real on Saturday at MetLife Stadium. Kovac admitted that extra time, which suddenly became possible due to a turbulent stoppage time period, "would have not been fair". Advertisement Midfielder Pascal Gross said that "a different kind of football is played in the Bundesliga" compared to the Club World Cup, where Dortmund were however not fully glorious in their other games either. However, playing on the global stage has generated 2 million new followers on social media for Dortmund - who could also recently report a renewal until 2034 with their kit makers Puma which is said to worth €300 million. "Our networks, our partners, the number of our fans, our digital reach, and of course our turnover, is growing and growing," Cramer said. However, a lot of work still awaits them, on the pitch and off it as well, with the vast majority of the 77,000 fans on Saturday supporting Real. "We know about the tasks ahead of us in the world. We don't want to and can't compare ourselves with Real Madrid," Kehl said.
News18
06-07-2025
- Climate
- News18
'It's More Of a Golf Green': Borussia Dortmund Coach Slams MetLife Stadium
Last Updated: Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac has criticised the facilities at the Metlife Stadium where his team suffered a quarterfinal defeat to Real Madrid. In the eyes of Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac, the MetLife Stadium field was better suited for a round of golf than a match at the Club World Cup. And the New York area's summer heat also was inappropriate for high-level football. 'It's more a golf green, so you can putt here," Kovac said after a 3-2 quarterfinal loss to Real Madrid on Saturday. 'It's very short. But this is not the grass we are used to playing on in the Bundesliga and also in the other two stadiums." Dortmund played their opening group match at MetLife, the site of the Club World Cup semifinals and championship, and of next year's World Cup final. The German team played two matches at Cincinnati's TQL Stadium and its round of 16 game at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 'As you saw, the watering wasn't good enough, I would say, because you don't have the devices for that." Kovac said. 'When it's too dry, it's unbelievable. It's sticking." FIFA said it did not have an immediate comment on Kovac's remarks. On a sunny afternoon, the temperature at the 4 p.m. kickoff was 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) in East Rutherford. Similar temperatures or higher are expected for next year's World Cup, where 11 venues are in the U.S., and most do not have roofs or air-conditioning. During the 1994 World Cup, 28 of 52 matches had kickoff times from noon to 2 p.m. EDT, better for European viewing. Kickoff times for next year's 104-game tournament are likely to be set after the draw in December. 'We played two times in Cincinnati. The first time it was 12 o'clock. The second time it was 3 p.m. and the pitch we had temperatures of around about 45 degrees (113 degrees Fahrenheit)," Kovač said. 'When the temperature is 45 degrees, this is not amazing. This is very hard for someone, and the players, they must play these games. 'Today, we had 35 degrees (95 degrees Fahrenheit). It's also not much better, to be honest. But, OK, this a tournament we need to play. And I would suggest — my suggestion, that the kickoff time will be a little later. … So the intensity is also much higher. And as a supporter, as a spectator, you would like to see intensive, aggressive, up-and-down football. So when it's too hot, then it's difficult to play this kind of football." With AP Inputs First Published: July 06, 2025, 11:26 IST
