Kovac: Dortmund didn’t feel comfortable playing with a back four at the beginning, so they changed the formation. The players’ confidence is now high

On October 9, Dortmund coach Kovac accepted an exclusive interview. He explained how he helped Dortmund regain stability, and talked about Schlotterbeck's contract extension and Gilasi's status.

About Schlotterbeck’s future and the possibility of renewing his contract at Dortmund?

"He is a German international and enjoys a very high status within the team, but also among the fans. In this day and age, it is not easy to win the love of the fans, but he did it with his way of playing and his attitude towards life. We are in the Ruhr area, where passion and aggression are needed, and he happens to have these qualities in addition to his football skills. Therefore, if he can stay here longer, it will be a thing of beauty. ... He knows what he has in this club. "

"I believe that during the time when he was injured, he also felt the full support from the club, and we provided him with all possible support to help him move forward. He knows this and he will make the right decision for himself. "

About Gilasi's status?

"For me, Gilasi is very, very important. He is still the lifeblood of the team because he is an important part of this team. He can pose a threat, but you also have to see that in the last few Bundesliga games, he has been marked by two defenders at times - both against Wolfsburg and the last game against Leipzig. So, he has been He's holding down two opponents individually, which means more free space for other players, but opponents are really trying to contain our top striker. So it won't be easy for him, but I know that in the next few weeks, he will give us what we need again: his goals."

How do you help Dortmund regain consistency?

"Every coach has his own ideas, and I have mine. We try to adjust and balance these ideas. At first we used a four-back formation, and then we found that the effect was not as good as expected. So we made different decisions after discussing with the players, and this is what happened. What a coach has to do: constantly fine-tuning, sometimes tightening, sometimes loosening. So far, this approach has worked well, so we are now achieving success and stability."

Regarding the team's desire to win since the beginning of the season, has it been different from when you first took over?

"No, the desire to win is the same. Of course, the team was in a low period at that time, so the self-confidence was not at the highest level. But then the situation improved, and every player here has the strength of the national team. Therefore, the players' internal motivation is very strong, they do not want to last season That happened again. So I believe that with all the factors I just mentioned, as well as the players' own motivation to not fall behind at the beginning of the season, it gave the team a strong driving force."

How did you change the mental outlook of the players that was often criticized before?

"I don't want to always boil football down to physical confrontation, but you have to stay healthy."

"There are always different definitions of 'health', and I have my own. As a former player, I may have a different view of 'health' than others. When the physical conditions are in place, the player does not have to think about whether to participate in a run, he will automatically But do it naturally. If the physical condition is not there, the body will not be able to provide the support required to complete this run. I believe that we have made great progress at this level, so that we can maintain a high level of physical fitness, which is the key."