Supercup loss fuels Kovac’s optimism on Dortmund’s new signings
Borussia Dortmund suffered a 1‑2 defeat to record champions Bayern Munich in the Supercup, yet 54‑year‑old BVB‑Trainer Niko Kovac emerged with a positive insight: “Niederlage Diese Supercup‑Erkenntnis” highlighted how the summer’s new signings have already impressed despite the loss overall.
Kovac praised the four Pflichtspieldebütanten, saying “Alle vier haben gezeigt, warum wir sie verpflichtet haben”. The comment was delivered to Sky after the match. The players he named were Konstantinos Karetsas, Joane Gadou, Giannis Konstantelias and Joey Veerman.
Karetsas, an 18‑year‑old top talent, drew particular admiration for his playmaking and left foot. Kovac noted, “Bei Kostas hat man gesehen, welchen Spielwitz und welchen linken Fuß er hat”. Gadou, aged 19, started as a right centre‑back in the three‑man defence, displaying a robust style and confidence.
Performance of the newcomers
Veerman and Konstantelias entered from the bench and immediately added structure to the Dortmunder side. Veerman replaced Felix Nmecha in the 62nd minute, while Konstantelias arrived at the start of the second half and set up Fabio Silva’s 75th‑minute equaliser.
Kovac described Konstantelias’ assist as “hohe Schule”, praising the precise pass that freed Daniel Svensson for the final touch. Bayern’s Nathaniel Brown (28) and Michael Olise (45+1) had earlier put the hosts ahead at the Signal Iduna Park.
Financial commitment and future outlook
The four arrivals represent investments totalling just under 100 million euros during the ongoing Transfersommers. Veerman arrived from PSV Eindhoven for a reported 22 million euros, Konstantelias from PAOK Saloniki for 26 million euros, Karetsas from KRC Genk for around 30 million euros and Gadou from RB Salzburg for 19.5 million euros.
Veerman and Konstantelias were signed only four and one day before the Supercup respectively, underscoring the rapid integration demanded of the Dortmunder squad. Kovac believes the early signs justify the spending.
Looking ahead to the Bundesliga opener against Hamburger SV, Kovac hinted that more than two of the quartet could start, though Veerman may need to surpass Felix Nmecha for a midfield berth. Trotz the loss, the coach remains satisfied with the progress.
The text also mentions Hendrik Deckers, and the words Quelle and Einkäufen appear in the source material. Ein further note highlights the BVB’s confidence, and Bei the end of the Supercup the optimism was clear.