Oliver Kahn believes Niko Kovac can be satisfied with the job he has done as Bayern Munich head coach amid suggestions that he is going to be sacked in the summer.
Goal understands that the Croatian, who only took over at Bayern in 2018, will be dismissed at the end of the season, regardless of whether he lifts the DFB Pokal.
The Bavarians have already been crowned league champions for 2018-19, with their 5-1 final-day thumping of Eintracht Frankfurt ensuring they finished two points above Borussia Dortmund in the table.
But Goal understands that, despite his success domestically, Kovac has lost the confidence of club bosses, while a number of players are also believed to have turned against the 47-year-old.
And Kahn feels that Kovac joined the Bundesliga giants at a difficult time, with Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery at the end of their careers while there was also the fall-out from Germany‘s disastrous 2018 World Cup campaign to contend with.
He told Goal and DAZN: “Kovac got into a very difficult situation. Some players like Robben and Ribery were already at a certain age. Then there was a catastrophic World Cup in Russia with the German preliminary round knockout, after which no national player had the desire for football.
“There were also injuries and another coach. Such a situation is not easy to handle. The fact that Kovac has managed to become German champion and can also win the DFB Pokal, that is – if you can see the net result – anything but bad.”
Both Robben and Ribery will be free agents in the summer after the club decided against extending their contracts and Kahn had nothing but praise for what they have achieved during their career with the Bavarians.
He added: “He’s [Robben] a Bayern legend. He has scored many important goals and played a large part in the fact that Bayern Munich has managed to achieve something unique, namely to win the championship seven times in a row. And of course in 2013 the Champions League as well as countless other titles.”
“He [Ribery] basically has exactly the same qualities as Robben. Maybe a bit more playful, but technically a bit better. I think the two will be missed by Bayern. Not only their quality, but also as characters.”
Kahn also discussed whether Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman are capable of replacing the veteran duo, adding: “If you look at Gnabry, it’s exciting to see what kind of development he has made. In the beginning, he was not so noticeable and has now made his way inro being a starting player, piece by piece.
“The same goes for Coman. If you always have two top players such as Robben and Ribery in front of you, sometimes it’s not so easy to establish yourself in their slipstream. With both now stopping, Gnabry and Coman feel more responsibility. This can lead them to take another step forward.”
Bayern face RB Leipzig in the DFB Pokal final on May 25 as they look to complete a domestic double in the 2018-19 campaign.
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