After CL slip-up: BVB coach Kovac criticizes rotational players
Borussia's head coach is self-critical after the 0-1 defeat in Norway. However, he also holds several players accountable.
On the second matchday of the UEFA Champions League, Borussia Dortmund had to accept a 0-1 defeat in the anticipated tough away game against Bodö/Glimt (match report>>>).
While the Norwegian vice-champion is known as an unpleasant opponent and a giant-killer, the result is undoubtedly a small humiliation for BVB. The defeat does not meet the standards of the German top club, which had beaten FC Villarreal 3-2 in the first match.
After the match, BVB head coach Niko Kovac, who recently extended his contract with the vice-champion, also struggled with the defeat. The 55-year-old showed self-criticism. "I picked the team, that didn't go so well," Kovac said after the game on "DAZN".
"It didn't work today"
"Every single player in the squad has the opportunity to play, as well as the quality. That didn't work today. I have to say that very clearly," the Croatian continued.
Kovac had heavily rotated his starting eleven, initially leaving key players like Serhou Guirassy and Felix Nmecha on the bench. Both were substituted in late. However, the players who came in, including Joey Veerman and Konstantinos Karetsas, could not seize their opportunity.
Instead of impressing with a convincing performance, BVB appeared spiritless for long stretches. "In the first half, we lacked passion and intensity, and we didn't play the football we needed to," Kovac concluded.
