Niko Kovac Fired by Bayern Munich After 5-1 Loss to Eintracht Frankfurt
November 3, 2019
Niko Kovac has left Bayern Munich after the Bundesliga champions were thrashed 5-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
Bayern confirmed the decision on Sunday:
Kovac, 48, took over at Bayern ahead of the 2018-19 season and led them to a domestic double in his debut campaign in charge.
In Europe, though, he had less success. The German giants were knocked out of the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League by Liverpool at the last-16 stage.
Saturday's crushing defeat against Kovac's former club left Bayern sitting fourth in the Bundesliga after 10 games of the new season, four points back from leaders Borussia Monchengladbach:
The Frankfurt defeat was clearly the final straw for the Bayern hierarchy.
Despite winning silverware at the Allianz Arena, Kovac never seemed like an ideal fit at the club:
Former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has been tipped as Kovac's potential successor, per Bild (h/t Football Italia).
Tottenham Hotspur's Mauricio Pochettino and Ajax's Erik ten Hag have also been linked, per Corriere dello Sport (h/t Perform via AS).
Bayern are back in action on Wednesday when they meet Olympiacos in the Champions League.