Borussia Dortmund coach NikoKovac expressed strong disappointment with his club's performance in the Champions League, where the team was defeated 1‑0 at home by BodøGlimt. The goal, scored by FredrikSjøvold in the second half, ended the match decisively, and Kovac declared that he had only "woken up" the team after the event, but with the surplus already too large.
The interview, granted by DAZN immediately after the final whistle, saw the Croatian coach recognize the superiority of his opponent for much of the match. “We didn't get into the game until we conceded,” he admitted, highlighting how the first half was characterized by a lack of passion, intensity and quality football. Only after a quadruple substitution did the team manage to regain some control, but the opposition was already significantly stronger.
Kovac also criticized the large turnover chosen for the Norwegian trip, calling the choice "unpaid". While taking full responsibility for his decisions, he highlighted tactical shortcomings and the attitude of individual players. “Every single player in our squad has the quality to take to the pitch, but today it didn't work,” he said, reiterating that a lack of passion was the main cause of the defeat. He added that BodøGlimt's players were quicker, more agile and made better use of the spaces behind the German defence.
According to Kovac, the Dortmund team "only played the ball on their feet", without trying to penetrate deep. “If you don't play behind the defensive line, you can't spread the opposition or break their structure,” he explained, indicating that this lack of aggression prevented Borussia from creating scoring opportunities. The coach concluded by acknowledging that BodøGlimt deserved the lead, stressing that his team had to "wake up" too late to recover.
With the defeat, Borussia Dortmund remains out of the Champions League group stage, while BodøGlimt consolidates their position in the table. Kovac said he wanted to review the team's strategy and composition to prevent similar mistakes from happening in the future. Dortmund's next match will be against Inter, where the coach intends to demonstrate that his team can return to playing with the passion and intensity that spectators expect.