Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac has caused a stir after admitting he does not believe his side can compete with Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga title next season.
The former Bayern boss gave a blunt assessment of Dortmund’s chances for the 2026-27 campaign, pointing to the financial gap and squad quality at the Allianz Arena as the main reasons for his cautious outlook.
Dortmund are usually expected to be Bayern’s closest challengers in German football, but Kovac refused to deliver the kind of bold title promise many supporters may have wanted to hear. Instead, he said the current reality of the Bundesliga makes it difficult for BVB to keep pace over a full season.
Speaking to WAZ, Kovac said he is trying to view the situation realistically rather than emotionally.
“I know everyone expects more, higher, further, faster. I don’t see us challenging Bayern next year. I’m not a naive person, but a realist, and I’m trying to put everything into perspective. Bayern have far more money, far more superstars than we do,” Kovac said.
The comments are likely to divide opinion among Dortmund fans. Some may see them as an honest reflection of the club’s position, while others could view them as a defeatist message before the season has even begun.
Kovac’s point is clear. Even when Dortmund produce a strong league campaign, the gap to Bayern can remain difficult to close. BVB collected 73 points this term, one of their best domestic returns in recent history, yet still found themselves short of the level required to seriously challenge for the Meisterschale.
The Dortmund boss also highlighted the difference in individual quality between the two squads. While BVB have leaned on important contributors such as Serhou Guirassy and Yan Couto to stay competitive, Bayern’s ability to build around proven world-class stars gives them a level of consistency Kovac believes Dortmund currently lack.
For Dortmund, the challenge now is not only to prove they can close the gap on Bayern, but also to respond to their manager’s public reality check. Kovac may have intended to lower expectations, but his words have added extra pressure to a club still desperate to end Bayern’s domestic dominance.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC Bayern München Bayern | 34 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 122 | 36 | 86 | 89 |
| 2 | Borussia Dortmund Dortmund | 34 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 70 | 34 | 36 | 73 |
| 3 | RB Leipzig RB Leipzig | 34 | 20 | 5 | 9 | 66 | 47 | 19 | 65 |
| 4 | VfB Stuttgart Stuttgart | 34 | 18 | 8 | 8 | 71 | 49 | 22 | 62 |
| 5 | TSG 1899 Hoffenheim Hoffenheim | 34 | 18 | 7 | 9 | 65 | 52 | 13 | 61 |
| 6 | Bayer 04 Leverkusen Leverkusen | 34 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 68 | 47 | 21 | 59 |
| 7 | SC Freiburg Freiburg | 34 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 51 | 57 | -6 | 47 |
| 8 | Eintracht Frankfurt Frankfurt | 34 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 61 | 65 | -4 | 44 |
| 9 | FC Augsburg Augsburg | 34 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 45 | 61 | -16 | 43 |
| 10 | 1. FSV Mainz 05 Mainz | 34 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 44 | 53 | -9 | 40 |
| 11 | 1. FC Union Berlin Union Berlin | 34 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 44 | 58 | -14 | 39 |
| 12 | Borussia Mönchengladbach M'gladbach | 34 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 42 | 53 | -11 | 38 |
| 13 | Hamburger SV HSV | 34 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 40 | 54 | -14 | 38 |
| 14 | 1. FC Köln 1. FC Köln | 34 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 49 | 63 | -14 | 32 |
| 15 | SV Werder Bremen Bremen | 34 | 8 | 8 | 18 | 37 | 60 | -23 | 32 |
| 16 | VfL Wolfsburg Wolfsburg | 34 | 7 | 8 | 19 | 45 | 69 | -24 | 29 |
| 17 | 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 Heidenheim | 34 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 41 | 72 | -31 | 26 |
| 18 | FC St. Pauli 1910 St. Pauli | 34 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 29 | 60 | -31 | 26 |
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