Robert Kovač
| Date of birth | 06 April 1974 |
| Place of birth | Berlin |
| Nationality | Croatian |
| Weight | 76 kg |
| Height | 1.82 m |
| Position | Defender |
Kovac was born in Berlin but qualifies to play for Croatia through parentage. The talented defender has played the majority his club football in Germany, starting out with 1FC Nurnberg and later spending five years with Bayer Leverkusen before he joined then European champions Bayern Munich for a substantial fee in the 2001 close season.
Kovac made his full international debut against Italy in April 1999.
He is the younger brother of midfielder Niko who has also played for Bayern Munich and Croatia.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hertha Zehlendorf | 01 Jul 1994 | 01 Jul 1995 | |
| 1.FC Nurnberg | 01 Jul 1995 | 01 Jul 1996 | |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 01 Jul 1996 | 01 Jul 2001 | |
| Bayern Munchen | 01 Jul 2001 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01 | Bayer Leverkusen | Bundesliga | 31 |
11
|
1
|
||
| 2000-01 | Bayer Leverkusen | UEFA Champions League | 5 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Bayer Leverkusen | UEFA Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2001-02 | Bayern Munchen | Bundesliga | 27 | 1 |
7
|
||
| 2001-02 | Bayern Munchen | Intercontinental Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Bayern Munchen | UEFA Champions League | 13 |
2
|
|||
| 2001-02 | Bayern Munchen | UEFA Super Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Bayern Munchen | Bundesliga | 23 | 1 |
5
|
||
| 2002-03 | Bayern Munchen | UEFA Champions League | 6 |
2
|
|||
| 2003-04 | Bayern Munchen | Bundesliga | 19 |
3
|
|||
| 2003-04 | Bayern Munchen | UEFA Champions League | 7 |
2
|
|||
| 2004-05 | Bayern Munchen | Bundesliga | 21 | 1 |
3
|
||
| 2004-05 | Bayern Munchen | UEFA Champions League | 4 |
2
|
|||
| 2005-06 | Juventus | UEFA Champions League | 1 | ||||
| 2007-08 | Borussia Dortmund | Bundesliga | 14 | 2 |
5
|
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Aug 2000 | Bayer Leverkusen v VfL Wolfsburg | W | 2-0 | Bundesliga | 1 |
| 19 Aug 2000 | VfB Stuttgart v Bayer Leverkusen | L | 4-1 | Bundesliga | 2 |
| 05 Sep 2000 | Bayer Leverkusen v SpVgg Unterhaching | W | 1-0 | Bundesliga | 3 |
| 09 Sep 2000 | 1.FC Köln v Bayer Leverkusen | D | 1-1 | Bundesliga | 4 |
| 12 Sep 2000 | Spartak Moskva v Bayer Leverkusen | L | 2-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group A |
| 16 Sep 2000 | Bayer Leverkusen v Hansa Rostock | L | 1-2 | Bundesliga | 5 |
| 20 Sep 2000 | Bayer Leverkusen v Sporting Lisboa | W | 3-2 | UEFA Champions League | Group A |
| 23 Sep 2000 | Energie Cottbus v Bayer Leverkusen | W | 1-2 | Bundesliga | 6 |
| 27 Sep 2000 | Bayer Leverkusen v Real Madrid | L | 2-3 | UEFA Champions League | Group A |
| 30 Sep 2000 | Bayer Leverkusen v TSV 1860 München | D | 0-0 | Bundesliga | 7 |
| 14 Oct 2000 | Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen | D | 3-3 | Bundesliga | 8 |
| 17 Oct 2000 | Real Madrid v Bayer Leverkusen | L | 5-3 | UEFA Champions League | Group A |
| 21 Oct 2000 | Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Dortmund | W | 2-0 | Bundesliga | 9 |
| 28 Oct 2000 | Schalke 04 v Bayer Leverkusen | D | 0-0 | Bundesliga | 10 |
| 03 Nov 2000 | Bayer Leverkusen v Eintracht Frankfurt | W | 1-0 | Bundesliga | 11 |
| 07 Nov 2000 | Sporting Lisboa v Bayer Leverkusen | D | 0-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group A |
| 11 Nov 2000 | SC Freiburg v Bayer Leverkusen | W | 0-1 | Bundesliga | 12 |
| 18 Nov 2000 | Hamburger SV v Bayer Leverkusen | W | 1-3 | Bundesliga | 13 |
| 23 Nov 2000 | Bayer Leverkusen v AEK Athens | D | 4-4 | UEFA Cup | 3rd round 1st leg |
| 02 Dec 2000 | Bayern München v Bayer Leverkusen | L | 2-0 | Bundesliga | 15 |
| 07 Dec 2000 | AEK Athens v Bayer Leverkusen | L |
2-0 Agg: 6-4 |
UEFA Cup | 3rd round 2nd leg |
| 10 Dec 2000 | Bayer Leverkusen v Hertha Berlin | W | 4-0 | Bundesliga | 16 |
| 13 Dec 2000 | VfL Bochum v Bayer Leverkusen | L | 3-2 | Bundesliga | 17 |
| 16 Dec 2000 | VfL Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen | L | 2-0 | Bundesliga | 18 |
| 28 Jan 2001 | Bayer Leverkusen v VfB Stuttgart | W | 4-0 | Bundesliga | 19 |
| 04 Feb 2001 | SpVgg Unterhaching v Bayer Leverkusen | W | 1-2 | Bundesliga | 20 |
| 10 Feb 2001 | Bayer Leverkusen v 1.FC Köln | W | 4-1 | Bundesliga | 21 |
| 18 Feb 2001 | Hansa Rostock v Bayer Leverkusen | L | 2-1 | Bundesliga | 22 |
| 23 Feb 2001 | Bayer Leverkusen v Energie Cottbus | L | 1-3 | Bundesliga | 23 |
| 04 Mar 2001 | TSV 1860 München v Bayer Leverkusen | L | 1-0 | Bundesliga | 24 |
| 09 Mar 2001 | Bayer Leverkusen v Werder Bremen | W | 3-0 | Bundesliga | 25 |
| 17 Mar 2001 | Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen | W | 1-3 | Bundesliga | 26 |
| 07 Apr 2001 | Eintracht Frankfurt v Bayer Leverkusen | W | 1-3 | Bundesliga | 28 |
| 21 Apr 2001 | Bayer Leverkusen v Hamburger SV | D | 1-1 | Bundesliga | 30 |
| 28 Apr 2001 | 1.FC Kaiserslautern v Bayer Leverkusen | W | 0-1 | Bundesliga | 31 |
| 05 May 2001 | Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern München | L | 0-1 | Bundesliga | 32 |
| 12 May 2001 | Hertha Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen | D | 1-1 | Bundesliga | 33 |
| 19 May 2001 | Bayer Leverkusen v VfL Bochum | W | 1-0 | Bundesliga | 34 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-99 | Croatia | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1999-00 | Croatia | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Croatia | UEFA European Championship | 3 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Croatia | FIFA World Cup | 4 |
2
|
|||
| 2000-01 | Croatia | International Friendly | 2 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Croatia | FIFA World Cup | 5 |
1
|
|||
| 2001-02 | Croatia | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Croatia | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Croatia | UEFA European Championship | 3 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Croatia | International Friendly | 4 |
1
|
|||
| 2003-04 | Croatia | UEFA European Championship | 7 |
3
|
|||
| 2004-05 | Croatia | FIFA World Cup | 5 |
3
|
|||
| 2004-05 | Croatia | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
| 2005-06 | Croatia | FIFA World Cup | 5 |
2
|
|||
| 2005-06 | Croatia | International Friendly | 6 | ||||
| 2006-07 | Croatia | UEFA European Championship | 6 | ||||
| 2007-08 | Croatia | International Friendly | 5 |
3
|
|||
| 2007-08 | Croatia | UEFA European Championship | 8 |
2
|
|||
| 2008-09 | Croatia | FIFA World Cup | 3 |
1
|
1
|
||
| 2008-09 | Croatia | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2009-10 | Croatia | FIFA World Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2009-10 | Croatia | International Friendly | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Apr 1999 | Croatia v Italy | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 05 May 1999 | Spain v Croatia | L | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 18 Aug 1999 | Yugoslavia v Croatia | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 04 Sep 1999 | Croatia v Republic of Ireland | W | 1-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 09 Oct 1999 | Croatia v Yugoslavia | D | 2-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 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 |
| 28 Feb 2001 | Croatia v Austria | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 24 Mar 2001 | Croatia v Latvia | W | 4-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 02 Jun 2001 | Croatia v San Marino | W | 4-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 15 Aug 2001 | Republic of Ireland v Croatia | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 01 Sep 2001 | Scotland v Croatia | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 06 Oct 2001 | Croatia v Belgium | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 13 Feb 2002 | Croatia v Bulgaria | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Apr 2002 | Croatia v Bosnia and Herzegovina | W | 2-0 | 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 | |
| 12 Oct 2002 | Bulgaria v Croatia | L | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 12 Feb 2003 | Croatia v Poland | D | 0-0 | 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 | |
| 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 |
| 11 Oct 2003 | Croatia v Bulgaria | W | 1-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 |
| 08 Oct 2005 | Croatia v Sweden | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 8 |
| 12 Oct 2005 | Hungary v Croatia | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 8 |
| 12 Nov 2005 | Portugal v Croatia | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 23 May 2006 | Austria v Croatia | W | 1-4 | International Friendly | |
| 28 May 2006 | Croatia v Iran | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Jun 2006 | Croatia v Poland | L | 0-1 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 12 Sep 2007 | Andorra v Croatia | W | 0-6 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 13 Oct 2007 | Croatia v Israel | W | 1-0 | 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 |
| 20 Aug 2008 | Slovenia v Croatia | W | 2-3 | International Friendly | |
| 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 Feb 2009 | Romania v Croatia | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Jun 2009 | Croatia v Ukraine | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 08 Oct 2009 | Croatia v Qatar | W | 3-2 | International Friendly | |
| 14 Oct 2009 | Kazakhstan v Croatia | W | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.