FC Bayern have dominated the Bundesliga at will in the 2025/26 season – and even the competition currently seems to have little faith in a real changing of the guard. Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac has now had particularly clear words to say
The Munich side secured their 35th German championship with a 16-point lead, adding to an impressive 122 Bundesliga goals, numerous records and, for long stretches, soccer that was virtually unstoppable at national level
While many fans are hoping for a more exciting title race in the coming season, the coach of arguably Bayern’s biggest rival, of all people, is now significantly dampening expectations
In an interview with the WAZ newspaper, Niko Kovac made it unmistakably clear that he does not currently see Borussia Dortmund on a par with the record champions. „I don’t think we’ll be able to stand up to Bayern next year,“ the former Bayern coach stated openly
What is particularly remarkable is that Kovac did not even try to make the usual battle statements towards Munich. Instead, the 54-year-old deliberately opted for realism: „I’m not naive, I’m a realist.“
Bayern in their own league according to Kovac
Kovac cited the economic differences as the main reason for Munich’s continued dominance: „Bayern have far more money and far more superstars than we do,“ emphasized the BVB coach
In fact, the gap seems to have widened recently. With players such as Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Díaz, Bayern now have an attack that sets international standards
Added to this is Vincent Kompany, who has managed to get the maximum out of a relatively thin squad. Under the Belgian, the record champions have been much more stable and consistent than in previous years. In attack in particular, Bayern have at times played soccer reminiscent of the best Guardiola times
The semi-final exit in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain did little to change the internal assessment of the season. On the contrary: many managers already see the current squad as one of the strongest in Europe
Competition currently lacks consistency
This is precisely why it is currently difficult to identify a serious Bayern challenger. Leverkusen did not even manage to qualify for the Champions League last season, while Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund have been struggling with a lack of consistency for years
The fact that Kovac, of all people, has publicly put his team’s title hopes into perspective is therefore likely to be seen as an indirect compliment to FC Bayern
What is particularly explosive is that Munich are by no means planning to rest on their laurels, as the record champions are already working on their next spectacular attacking transfer with Anthony Gordon
If the Bavarians actually realize their desired transfers, the gap to the national competition could become even greater.