Niko Kovač

Niko Kovač

Personal information
Full name	Niko Kovač
Date of birth	15 October 1971 (1971-10-15)
Place of birth	West Berlin, West Germany
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Midfielder (retired)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1990-1991 1991-1996 1996-1999 1999-2001 2001-2003 2003-2006 2006-2009	Hertha Berlin-Zehlendorf Hertha Berlin Bayer Leverkusen Hamburg Bayern Munich Hertha Berlin Red Bull Salzburg
National team
1996-2008	Croatia
Teams managed
2009 - 2011 2011-	Red Bull Juniors (headcoach) FC Red Bull Salzburg (assistance coach)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Niko Kovač (born 15 October 1971) is a former Croatian football player. He has played for Croatia national team.

Club career

Last match of Niko Kovac vs. Bayern Munich

He was born in Berlin (Germany) and so he started his career with his local club Hertha Zehlendorf. There he became member of its first team at the age of 17. 1991 he went to Hertha BSC and started his professional career in the Second German League. 1996 he went to Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga, where he played together with his younger brother Robert. The next clubs were Hamburger SV, Bayern Munich, where he was again teammate of his brother and again Hertha BSC. After the 2006 FIFA World Cup he signed with F.C. Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga. On 29 May 2009 he resigned from professional football. His last match was a friendly match of Red Bull Salzburg against Bayern Munich. During his career he played 454 matches and scored 56 goals.

International career

He played from 1996 (versus Monaco) till 2009 for the Croatian national team. He played 83 matches and scored 15 goals. He was part of the Croation team for the FIFA World Cup 2002 and 2006 and the UEFA Euro 2004 and 2008.

Coaching career

First match as assistance coach of FC Red Bull Salzburg

2009 he became coach of the second squad of FC Red Bull Salzburg (Red Bull Juniors). In April 2011 he became assistance coach of Ricardo Moniz with the first squad.

Honours

• Intercontinental Cup winner: 2001
• Bundesliga champion: 2003.
• Bundesliga runner-up: 1997, 1999.
• DFB-Pokal winner: 2003.
• Austrian Bundesliga champion: 2007, 2009
• Austrian Bundesliga runner-up: 2008.

Club career statistics

Club performance			League
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals
Germany			League
1990/91	Hertha Berlin-Zehlendorf		25	7
1991/92	Hertha Berlin	2. Bundesliga	12	0
1992/93			42	1
1993/94			32	1
1994/95			31	2
1995/96			31	11
1996/97	Bayer Leverkusen	Bundesliga	32	3
1997/98			18	1
1998/99			27	4
1999/00	Hamburg	Bundesliga	30	8
2000/01			25	4
2001/02	Bayern Munich	Bundesliga	16	2
2002/03			18	1
2003/04	Hertha Berlin	Bundesliga	17	1
2004/05			30	4
2005/06			28	3
Austria			League
2006/07	Red Bull Salzburg	Bundesliga	28	6
2007/08			25	3
2008/09			12	0
Country	Germany		414	53
	Austria		65	9
Total			479	62

International career statistics

Croatia national team
Year	Apps	Goals
1996	2	1
1997	3	0
1998	0	0
1999	1	0
2000	7	1
2001	5	1
2002	6	1
2003	9	2
2004	12	1
2005	9	2
2006	12	1
2007	7	2
2008	10	3
Total	83	15