Niko Kovac has hailed former Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick as a great coach and a great man ahead of their clash on Wednesday.
Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac has hailed Barcelona boss Hansi Flick as a “great coach” after showing his potential during their time together at Bayern Munich, Mundo Deportivo reported on Tuesday.
Flick, who took over as Bayern Munich manager in November 2019, led the Bavarians to a historic six-trophy haul in 2020 and has since brought in Kovac, who led the Bavarian giants to three trophies in 2018, as an advisor.
The Croatian took over as Borussia Dortmund manager in February and is set to lead his side to face Flick’s Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.
‘Hansi is a great coach, he showed his potential at that time,’ Kovac said of Flick. ‘I am very please with what he is doing.’
Since arriving at Barcelona, the German has continued to impress, with the club looking to secure a treble this season of La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey, having started with a Supercopa de Espana triumph in January.
‘What stands out about Hansi is that he is a hard worker, disciplined and knows how to manage a group very well,’ Kovač said.
The Croatian coach also spoke about his past relationship with Flick, saying: ‘It will be special. We worked together, he was my assistant and now we will face each other.’