Bayern coach Kovac sets sights on Champions League

Niko Kovac seems to be convinced reliability has its origin in punctuality. Right on the dot as promised, the new Bayern Munich coach turns up for his interview.

In the lead-up to the his first Champions League appearance as a coach against Benfica this Wednesday evening, the former Croatian international takes his time to answer questions.

His answers are well-structured, precise, meaningful and determined and they paint a different picture of the 46-year-old that had to fight against many prejudices before taking over one of the most famous clubs in world football.

Many said Bayern Munich is a size too big for the former coach of Eintracht Frankfurt, which is with all respect, a mid-table club in Germany.

His first weeks have shown the opposite and confirm Bayern president Uli Hoeness's opinion that Kovac is the best thing that could happen to his side at the moment.

Critics had to admit to having underestimated the man and his ability to get into players' hearts and minds. They perhaps forgot about his irreplaceable knowledge about the unique structure and sensitivities of Bayern Munich.

Now Kovac is about to face his graduation as a coach when leading his club into a Champions League campaign that he is expected to win. It is after all the club's biggest wish.

It is not the fact that he has won the first four games of the season in the cup and league but the way he has changed Bayern's game for the better.

A team that failed to survive the semifinal of the Champions League in three consecutive years has turned into a beacon of stability and balance. The 2018/2019 Bayern team seems to have developed into a serious candidate to win this season's Champions League.

Real Madrid without Cristiano Ronaldo is not the Real Madrid of old when the Spanish giants won football's most important club competition three times in a row. "They are still a strong contender," Kovac commented.

But things might have changed. "In the last three years, Real only managed to win the Spanish championship once. That shows how hard it is to win all titles," the former midfielder emphasized.

Real will still play a significant role, but Kovac seems to favor other teams to succeed this season. Talking about this season's favorites, Kovac is more the traditionalist mentioning Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Paris St Germain, Juventus, several English clubs and Bayern.

Currently, Kovac is concerned about the early season injuries to three of Bayern's key performers Corentin Tolisso, Kingsley Coman and Rafinha.

"But we accept that and take our group against Lisbon [Benfica], Ajax Amsterdam, and AEK Athens very seriously."

Kovac has developed self-confidence after his first weeks at Bayern. Having found the right balance between the side's attacking power and the joint effort to defend and close spaces. "When we stick to that we are tough to beat. Opponents won't create many chances or score goals," Kovac stressed.

Kovac seems to know every single trick players can come up with, "because I was a player myself. No one is going to pull the wool over my eyes," he insists.

The most important thing he learned is to treat players differently. "You have to treat a player individually due to his origin and culture. I am Croatian but born in Germany, I have the characteristics of both nations, maybe that's why I try to understand every player has their own different personalities," he said.

Meanwhile, Kovac is regarded as the man for individual cases after having managed the multicultural squad at Frankfurt and the sensitive Croatian national team. Now he is convincing the demanding stars at Bayern that it's important to rotate the squad.

Now stars like Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng, James Rodriguez, Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, and Thomas Mueller are given a break. Mueller and Lewandowski are in the best shape mentally and physically despite a disappointing World Cup. Boateng is toeing the line after his move to Paris was vetoed by Bayern, and troublemaker Renato Sanchez is back on track.

"I am not using any witchcraft nor am I a miracle healer," he says. Being the coach doesn't mean "I stand above the others." Being honest and keeping promises is the key to winning over the players, he says.

"In the first place, I am an authentic human being. As a coach, you can either react emotionally or consider the effect your comments may have when talking to players based on their current mood and the circumstances they have to bear," Kovac commented.

Bayern's new coach is far from being altruistic. Kovac is ambitious and considers every detail that might lead to success.

It will be the same this Wednesday against underdog Benfica but he also has to keep in mind that more significant challenges await him and the club when the Champions League starts heating up.