Will Niko Kovac be the next coach of Bayern Munich?

We will know who the new Bayern Munich manager is by the end of April, according to Karl-Heinz Rummenigge’s pre-Klassiker interview with Sky Sports (via SportBild). Finally, the search for a new manager is coming to an end!

Rummenigge also reiterated the fact that the man will also be a German speaker. Then, he confirmed that the new manager will not be Thomas Tuchel. He acknowledged that Sporting Director Hasan Salimahadzic has been in contact with multiple potential candidates, including Tuchel, but Tuchel will be going to another club.

So, where does that leave us?

Former Bayern player and current Sky pundit Lothar Matthäus was “banging the drum” on Sky for current Eintracht Frankfurt manager and former Bayern defender Niko Kovac. Christian Falk with SportBild reported that when Kovac negotiated his contract with Frankfurt he made sure that it included a release clause if Bayern came calling.

So, what do we know about Kovac’s coaching career? He helped lead Croatia to the 2014 World Cup before crashing out in the group stage. He was sacked in the fall of 2015 after a disappointing start to their 2016 European Championship qualifying campaign.

Kovac was appointed to take over Frankfurt in March 2016. Frankfurt would finish the season in the relegation playoff, but they maintained their place in the top flight. Last season, the club finished in 11th, but let’s talk about this season. Frankfurt are currently sitting in sixth place, with the opportunity to jump all the way into third place with a win on Sunday against Werder Bremen.

It’s very clear that Bayern Munich want a new manager that is either German or has Bundesliga experience. I don’t know how many people would’ve put Kovac at the top of the list when all of this started, but he may be where the club is headed.