By Rune Gjerulff@runegjerulff

Niko Kovač: Dortmund missing stars like Sancho, Dembélé and Haaland

Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovač says club is currently lacking players with "extra skills" like Jadon Sancho, Ousmane Dembélé and Erling Haaland.
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Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images

Jadon Sancho, Ousmane Dembélé, and Erling Haaland are among the many superstars who have passed through Borussia Dortmund in recent years. 

According to head coach Niko Kovač, the current BVB squad lacks players with a similar extraordinary spark.

“What we certainly don’t have are those players that maybe some people here would like to see – with those extra skills," Kovac said during a discussion hosted by Reiner Calmund on Monday evening, adding:

“I think what we or the fans are missing is maybe players like Jadon Sancho, Haaland, Dembélé and Marco Reus.”

At the same time, the Dortmund coach made it clear that he's happy to work with his current squad:

“I believe we are already doing a good job with the players we have. They are excellent and I am happy to work with them, but of course we also want to improve.”

Niko Kovač was appointed Borussia Dortmund head coach in January 2025, and his contract runs until the summer of 2027.

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