Niko KovaÄ
Niko Kovač 2009
Niko Kovač ː ni ː tʃ kɔ kɔʋa (* October 15, 1971 in Berlin ) is a former Croatian football player and since October 2013 coach of the Croatian national team.
Career as a player
Clubs
Niko Kovač grew up as the son of Croatian parents ( from Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina to arise ) with brother Robert in Berlin and started the club football at SC Rapide Wedding. In 1989 he moved to Hertha Zehlendorf, before he arrived in 1991 to second division side Hertha BSC, where he is the root and guide player but never developed until 1996 promotion to the Bundesliga managed. His professional debut was on November 2, 1991 ( 16th Round ) in the 1-1 draw at home against VfL Osnabrück when he came on in the 77th minute for Armin Görtz. His first goal he scored in the following season on 12 December 1992 (25th Round ) in the 3-0 home win over Hannover 96 Furthermore, he came six times in the DFB - Pokal for use.
From 1996 to 1999 he played for the Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen, for whom he 77 league games (8 goals), seven Champions League games and four UEFA Cup games played and 1999 runner-up was.
This was followed by two seasons at Hamburg, where he was able to establish itself as a regular player and he 55 league matches (12 goals), eight Champions League games (1 goal ), a UEFA Cup and two DFB Pokal games denied. After Uli Hoeness became aware Kovač as manager of FC Bayern Munich, in 2001 he moved to the Munich.
With Bayern he won the World Cup and played until 2003 34 league games ( 3 goals ), seven DFB Cup matches (1 goal ) and six Champions League games (1 goal ), Winner of the 2003 double ( league and cup ) and left the club after he no longer belonged to the permanent staff.
After three seasons, again for Hertha BSC, Kovač joined in 2006 to Austria for FC Red Bull Salzburg, where he even master immediately became team captain and leading players and at the end of his first season in 2007. After the end of the season 2008/ 09 - Champion again - he finished on 31 May 2009 his career as a footballer.
National
Kovač debuted in 1996 in the senior national team of Croatia, for which he came up to his resignation as national team in January 2009, 83 times used and scored 15 goals. He took part in both the World Championships in 2002 and 2006 and at the European Championships in 2004 and 2008. In the three group matches of these tournaments, he scored two goals: On 21 June 2004, the 2:4 defeat in the last group match against England on 22 June 2006 in a 2-2 draw in the final group match against Australia.
Career as a coach
On 16 June 2009 it was announced that Kovač will train as a successor to Adolf Hütter at least until 2011, the second team of Red Bull Salzburg ( "juniors "). In April 2011, after the dismissal of Huub Stevens as head coach of the first team, he sat down next to Ricardo Moniz, the new coach, the post of assistant coach. End of June 2012 was suspended because he passe by the resignation of Ricardo Moniz and the obligation of Roger Schmidt, no longer in the requirement profile Kovač.
In January 2013 he became coach of the U-21 national team of Croatia. His brother Robert assisted him there as an assistant coach.
On October 16, 2013, he was appointed as the successor to Igor Štimac to the A national team coach.
Achievements
- World Cup winners in 2001
- German Champion 2003
- DFB Cup winner in 2003
- Austrian Champion 2007, 2009
Family
Niko Kovač is married and has one daughter. His brother Robert was also active as a professional football player. Both played together at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and in the Croatian national team.