Niko Kovač
| Date of birth | 15 October 1971 |
| Place of birth | Berlin |
| Nationality | Croatian |
| Weight | 72 kg |
| Height | 1.76 m |
| Position | Midfielder |
The elder brother of Robert Kovac (also of Bayern Munich and Croatia, and previously together at Bayer Leverkusen) is a versatile midfielder, capable of carrying out destructive and constructive roles.
His best position is probably as an attacking left-back as some pundits favourably compare him to the former Bayern great, Paul Breitner.
Niko joined Bayern in June 2001 for £4million from SV Hamburg a year after they turned down a £5million bid.
Niko, who has also played for Hertha Zehlendorf and Hertha Berlin, started his career with Rapid Wedding.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hertha Zehlendorf | 01 Jul 1991 | ||
| Hertha BSC Berlin | 01 Jul 1991 | 01 Jul 1996 | |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 01 Jul 1996 | 01 Jul 1999 | |
| Hamburger SV | 01 Jul 1999 | 01 Jul 2001 | |
| Bayern Munchen | 01 Jul 2001 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01 | Hamburger SV | Bundesliga | 25 | 4 |
9
|
||
| 2000-01 | Hamburger SV | UEFA Champions League | 8 | 1 |
2
|
||
| 2000-01 | Hamburger SV | UEFA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Bayern Munchen | Bundesliga | 11 | 6 |
2 |
3
|
|
| 2001-02 | Bayern Munchen | Intercontinental Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Bayern Munchen | UEFA Champions League | 3 | 1 |
3
|
||
| 2001-02 | Bayern Munchen | UEFA Super Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2002-03 | Bayern Munchen | Bundesliga | 10 | 8 |
1 |
5
|
|
| 2002-03 | Bayern Munchen | UEFA Champions League | 1 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2003-04 | Hertha BSC Berlin | Bundesliga | 14 | 2 |
1 |
8
|
|
| 2004-05 | Hertha BSC Berlin | Bundesliga | 30 | 4 |
11
|
||
| 2005-06 | Hertha BSC Berlin | Bundesliga | 24 | 4 |
3 |
6
|
|
| 2006-07 | Red Bull Salzburg | UEFA Cup | 2 |
1
|
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08 Aug 2000 | Brøndby v Hamburger SV | W | 0-2 | UEFA Champions League | 3rd round 1st leg |
| 12 Aug 2000 | Hamburger SV v TSV 1860 München | D | 2-2 | Bundesliga | 1 |
| 19 Aug 2000 | Hertha Berlin v Hamburger SV | L | 4-0 | Bundesliga | 2 |
| 23 Aug 2000 | Hamburger SV v Brøndby | D |
0-0 Agg: 2-0 |
UEFA Champions League | 3rd round 2nd leg |
| 06 Sep 2000 | Hamburger SV v Werder Bremen | W | 2-1 | Bundesliga | 3 |
| 09 Sep 2000 | VfL Bochum v Hamburger SV | W | 0-4 | Bundesliga | 4 |
| 13 Sep 2000 | Hamburger SV v Juventus | D | 4-4 | UEFA Champions League | Group E |
| 16 Sep 2000 | Hamburger SV v Borussia Dortmund | L | 2-3 | Bundesliga | 5 |
| 19 Sep 2000 | Deportivo La Coruña v Hamburger SV | L | 2-1 | UEFA Champions League | Group E |
| 23 Sep 2000 | VfL Wolfsburg v Hamburger SV | D | 4-4 | Bundesliga | 6 |
| 26 Sep 2000 | Hamburger SV v Panathinaikos | L | 0-1 | UEFA Champions League | Group E |
| 30 Sep 2000 | Hamburger SV v Schalke 04 | W | 2-0 | Bundesliga | 7 |
| 14 Oct 2000 | VfB Stuttgart v Hamburger SV | D | 3-3 | Bundesliga | 8 |
| 18 Oct 2000 | Panathinaikos v Hamburger SV | D | 0-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group E |
| 21 Oct 2000 | Hamburger SV v Eintracht Frankfurt | W | 2-0 | Bundesliga | 9 |
| 24 Oct 2000 | Juventus v Hamburger SV | W | 1-3 | UEFA Champions League | Group E |
| 08 Nov 2000 | Hamburger SV v Deportivo La Coruña | D | 1-1 | UEFA Champions League | Group E |
| 03 Dec 2000 | 1.FC Kaiserslautern v Hamburger SV | L | 2-1 | Bundesliga | 15 |
| 07 Dec 2000 | Hamburger SV v AS Roma | L |
0-3 Agg: 0-4 |
UEFA Cup | 3rd round 2nd leg |
| 10 Dec 2000 | Hamburger SV v Energie Cottbus | W | 2-1 | Bundesliga | 16 |
| 13 Dec 2000 | Bayern München v Hamburger SV | L | 2-1 | Bundesliga | 17 |
| 03 Feb 2001 | Werder Bremen v Hamburger SV | L | 3-1 | Bundesliga | 20 |
| 10 Feb 2001 | Hamburger SV v VfL Bochum | W | 3-0 | Bundesliga | 21 |
| 17 Feb 2001 | Borussia Dortmund v Hamburger SV | L | 4-2 | Bundesliga | 22 |
| 24 Feb 2001 | Hamburger SV v VfL Wolfsburg | W | 3-2 | Bundesliga | 23 |
| 04 Mar 2001 | Schalke 04 v Hamburger SV | W | 0-1 | Bundesliga | 24 |
| 11 Mar 2001 | Hamburger SV v VfB Stuttgart | D | 2-2 | Bundesliga | 25 |
| 17 Mar 2001 | Eintracht Frankfurt v Hamburger SV | D | 1-1 | Bundesliga | 26 |
| 31 Mar 2001 | Hamburger SV v SpVgg Unterhaching | D | 1-1 | Bundesliga | 27 |
| 07 Apr 2001 | SC Freiburg v Hamburger SV | D | 0-0 | Bundesliga | 28 |
| 15 Apr 2001 | Hamburger SV v 1.FC Köln | D | 1-1 | Bundesliga | 29 |
| 21 Apr 2001 | Bayer Leverkusen v Hamburger SV | D | 1-1 | Bundesliga | 30 |
| 29 Apr 2001 | Hamburger SV v Hansa Rostock | W | 2-1 | Bundesliga | 31 |
| 12 May 2001 | Energie Cottbus v Hamburger SV | L | 4-2 | Bundesliga | 33 |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | Croatia | OT v Under-21 | 1 | ||||
| 1996-97 | Croatia | FIFA World Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1996-97 | Croatia | Hassan II Trophy | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1997-98 | Croatia | FIFA World Cup | 2 |
||||
| 1999-00 | Croatia | International Friendly | 4 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2000-01 | Croatia | FIFA World Cup | 4 |
2
|
|||
| 2000-01 | Croatia | International Friendly | 2 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Croatia | FIFA World Cup | 4 | 1 |
1
|
||
| 2001-02 | Croatia | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
1 |
1
|
|
| 2002-03 | Croatia | International Friendly | 2 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Croatia | UEFA European Championship | 1 | 2 |
1 |
1
|
|
| 2003-04 | Croatia | International Friendly | 4 | 1 |
1
|
||
| 2003-04 | Croatia | UEFA European Championship | 7 | 2 |
1
|
||
| 2004-05 | Croatia | FIFA World Cup | 6 | 2 |
|||
| 2004-05 | Croatia | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
| 2005-06 | Croatia | FIFA World Cup | 6 | 1 |
3
|
||
| 2005-06 | Croatia | International Friendly | 6 | ||||
| 2006-07 | Croatia | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 2006-07 | Croatia | UEFA European Championship | 7 |
1
|
|||
| 2007-08 | Croatia | International Friendly | 5 | 4 |
1
|
||
| 2007-08 | Croatia | UEFA European Championship | 6 | ||||
| 2008-09 | Croatia | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1 |
1
|
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 May 1996 | Brazil v Croatia | D | 1-1 | OT v Under-21 | |
| 11 Dec 1996 | Morocco v Croatia | W | 2-2 (7-6) | Hassan II Trophy | Semi-final |
| 12 Dec 1996 | Croatia v Czech Republic | W | 1-1 (4-1) | Hassan II Trophy | Final |
| 29 Mar 1997 | Croatia v Denmark | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 1 |
| 11 Oct 1997 | Slovenia v Croatia | W | 1-3 | FIFA World Cup | Group 1 |
| 15 Nov 1997 | Ukraine v Croatia | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | 2nd leg play-off |
| 13 Nov 1999 | France v Croatia | L | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 23 Feb 2000 | Croatia v Spain | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 29 Mar 2000 | Croatia v Germany | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 26 Apr 2000 | Austria v Croatia | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 28 May 2000 | Croatia v France | L | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 16 Aug 2000 | Slovakia v Croatia | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Sep 2000 | Belgium v Croatia | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 11 Oct 2000 | Croatia v Scotland | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 25 Apr 2001 | Croatia v Greece | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 2001 | Croatia v San Marino | W | 4-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 06 Jun 2001 | Latvia v Croatia | W | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 15 Aug 2001 | Republic of Ireland v Croatia | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 05 Sep 2001 | San Marino v Croatia | W | 0-4 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 17 Apr 2002 | Croatia v Bosnia and Herzegovina | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 08 May 2002 | Hungary v Croatia | W | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Jun 2002 | Croatia v Mexico | L | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group G |
| 08 Jun 2002 | Italy v Croatia | W | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group G |
| 13 Jun 2002 | Ecuador v Croatia | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group G |
| 21 Aug 2002 | Croatia v Wales | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 29 Mar 2003 | Croatia v Belgium | W | 4-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 02 Apr 2003 | Croatia v Andorra | W | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 30 Apr 2003 | Sweden v Croatia | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 11 Jun 2003 | Estonia v Croatia | W | 0-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 20 Aug 2003 | England v Croatia | L | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Sep 2003 | Andorra v Croatia | W | 0-3 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 10 Sep 2003 | Belgium v Croatia | L | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 15 Nov 2003 | Croatia v Slovenia | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Play-off 1st leg |
| 19 Nov 2003 | Slovenia v Croatia | W | 0-1 | UEFA European Championship | Play-off 2nd leg |
| 18 Feb 2004 | Croatia v Germany | L | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 28 Apr 2004 | North Macedonia v Croatia | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 29 May 2004 | Croatia v Slovakia | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 05 Jun 2004 | Denmark v Croatia | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 13 Jun 2004 | Switzerland v Croatia | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 17 Jun 2004 | Croatia v France | D | 2-2 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 21 Jun 2004 | Croatia v England | L | 2-4 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 18 Aug 2004 | Croatia v Israel | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 04 Sep 2004 | Croatia v Hungary | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 8 |
| 08 Sep 2004 | Sweden v Croatia | W | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 8 |
| 09 Oct 2004 | Croatia v Bulgaria | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 8 |
| 16 Nov 2004 | Republic of Ireland v Croatia | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 09 Feb 2005 | Israel v Croatia | D | 3-3 | International Friendly | |
| 26 Mar 2005 | Croatia v Iceland | W | 4-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 8 |
| 30 Mar 2005 | Croatia v Malta | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 8 |
| 04 Jun 2005 | Bulgaria v Croatia | W | 1-3 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 8 |
| 17 Aug 2005 | Croatia v Brazil | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Sep 2005 | Iceland v Croatia | W | 1-3 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 8 |
| 07 Sep 2005 | Malta v Croatia | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 8 |
| 08 Oct 2005 | Croatia v Sweden | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 8 |
| 12 Nov 2005 | Portugal v Croatia | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 01 Mar 2006 | Croatia v Argentina | W | 3-2 | International Friendly | |
| 23 May 2006 | Austria v Croatia | W | 1-4 | International Friendly | |
| 28 May 2006 | Croatia v Iran | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 07 Jun 2006 | Spain v Croatia | L | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 13 Jun 2006 | Brazil v Croatia | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group F |
| 18 Jun 2006 | Japan v Croatia | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group F |
| 22 Jun 2006 | Croatia v Australia | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group F |
| 16 Aug 2006 | Italy v Croatia | W | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Sep 2006 | Russia v Croatia | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 07 Oct 2006 | Croatia v Andorra | W | 7-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 11 Oct 2006 | Croatia v England | W | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 15 Nov 2006 | Israel v Croatia | W | 3-4 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 24 Mar 2007 | Croatia v North Macedonia | W | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 02 Jun 2007 | Estonia v Croatia | W | 0-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 06 Jun 2007 | Croatia v Russia | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 22 Aug 2007 | Bosnia and Herzegovina v Croatia | W | 3-5 | International Friendly | |
| 08 Sep 2007 | Croatia v Estonia | W | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 17 Nov 2007 | North Macedonia v Croatia | L | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 21 Nov 2007 | England v Croatia | W | 2-3 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 06 Feb 2008 | Croatia v Netherlands | L | 0-3 | International Friendly | |
| 26 Mar 2008 | Scotland v Croatia | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 24 May 2008 | Croatia v Moldova | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 31 May 2008 | Hungary v Croatia | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 08 Jun 2008 | Austria v Croatia | W | 0-1 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 12 Jun 2008 | Croatia v Germany | W | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 20 Jun 2008 | Croatia v Turkey | L | 1-1 (1-3) | UEFA European Championship | Finals quarter-final |
| 06 Sep 2008 | Croatia v Kazakhstan | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 10 Sep 2008 | Croatia v England | L | 1-4 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 11 Oct 2008 | Ukraine v Croatia | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.