Niko Kovac Named Bayern Munich Manager on 3-Year Contract

Bayern Munich confirmed Niko Kovac as their new manager on Friday and announced he has signed a three-year contract with the Bundesliga champions.

He will take over from current manager Jupp Heynckes on July 1:

The 46-year-old is currently in charge of Eintracht Frankfurt. Heynckes took charge of Bayern in October 2017 after Carlo Ancelotti was sacked, but he was only ever a short-term fix. 

Kovac will join Bayern after two years in Frankfurt. The Croatian avoided relegation in his first season in charge but is enjoying a much stronger second campaign as the team are currently fifth in the Bundesliga. 

He is still something of a surprise appointment as he is a relatively inexperienced manager. Kovac has taken charge of the Croatia under-21 side and senior team, but Eintracht was his first senior role in club management.

The Croatian does have history with Bayern Munich, as he spent two years at the club as a player between 2001 and 2003 and won a league title in his final season.

Kovac spent most of his playing career in the Bundesliga and also had spells at Hertha Berlin, Bayer Leverkusen and Hamburg. He finished his career in Austria with Red Bull Salzburg, where he also won a league title.

The former midfielder may lack top-level managerial experience, but he knows the club and the league well and has clearly impressed the German giants with his work at Frankfurt.

Managing Bayern will be a big step up from Frankfurt, and Kovac will be expected to continue the team's dominance of the Bundesliga as well as go for glory in the UEFA Champions League.