Kovac: I wonder if the Mia san Mia maxim still applies; a fist definitely hurts more than a slap

Hupu, October 16th: Dortmund head coach Kovac attended the pre-match press conference against Bayern Munich.

Talk about the status of the players and the return of the national team.

The rehabilitation training of all our national team players is slowly progressing. We are pleased with the performance of the players. So far, everyone is doing well.

Schlotterbeck has a cold and must train alone today. But we think he'll be ready on Saturday. Other than the well-known fact that Emre Can, Anselmino and Duranville are struggling to get back into shape, everything else looks good.

What do you think you learned while coaching Bayern Munich?

We won three championships, which I think is not bad at all. We are athletes. As a coach, of course you are also improving. Everyone is constantly trying to improve. You learn something at every stage.

What do you think Bayern can learn from this season?

We are paying attention to the status of Bayern Munich. I think it's rare for a team to perform so well. This shows their strength. We want to stay true to ourselves and play successful football.

If we want to perform well, we must do our best in Munich.

Talk about tactics against Bayern

We have often defended very well recently, but we must also find the direction of attack. We recently got a point in a great game in Munich. If we can repeat this performance, I believe Dortmund can take something home.

Talking about the different tactics of Dortmund

Frankfurt and Leipzig both play four defenders. We play with a back three, which is different for us and for Bayern. I think we've found some pretty good tactics.

My players have performed well in recent weeks. The key now is to apply these tactics in a top-level game. Bayern are the favorites, there is no doubt about that. We are still the clear underdogs in this game, but we want to hurt our opponents.

Talking about favorites

Bayern will not underestimate us; they know our capabilities. They often take the advantage at home in a hurry and we have to stabilize our position to beat them. This is possible. Even in Munich they know we are capable of playing well.

Talk about Bayern's Miasan Mia's motto

I don't know if this sentence is still applicable now. I believe that Dortmund are in a very solid position as a team and as a club.

Everything depends on the result, which is the basic prerequisite for any success. If everyone puts their ego before the club, it won't work. If this is the case, one player on the team may be successful in the short term, but the team as a whole will not.

That's the crux of the matter: we're cultivating something now. We must join together like a fist because a fist hurts more than a slap.

We are trying to develop something; only then can we compete with these top teams.

Talk about Gilasi

He was our life insurance and a great guy. With the national team, he was troubled by a kick to the thigh; he didn't run well.

He failed to provide enough help to the team as he wanted to. After discussing with the national team coach, he left the team and returned to Germany because his performance was unlikely to improve. He used this time to prepare.

Talk about Schlotterbeck’s contract extension problem

Schloti is a very important player for us and the national team. I am not responsible for the contract details. I am responsible for preparing the team for the next opponent and for our future development.

Leave everything else to Sebastian Kyle. He would be in a better position than I to discuss it with Schloti and the people around him. This has absolutely nothing to do with Saturday's game.