Dortmund's Kovač: Bayern won title due to individual quality

Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovač said his squad lacked the individual quality that helped Bayern Munich retain their Bundesliga title with ease this season.

Dortmund, who visit Borussia Mönchengladbach on Sunday, are a distant second behind Bayern in the final weeks of the campaign.

"What we perhaps lack a little is what Bayern have in abundance - an incredibly strong squad with many special individuals," Kovač told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Saturday.

"They have been especially successful this season in combining the attractive with the effective."

But despite two defeats in their last three games and what appeared to be fading momentum in the run-in, Kovač defended Dortmund's performances.

"I am very satisfied with the development the lads have made over the past 15 months. I think we have certainly played some very good and attractive games this season too," the 54-year-old said.

"I believe my team are capable of 72 points - that would have made Borussia Dortmund champions in 2023. This time, unfortunately, it is not enough."

To reach 72 points, Dortmund would need five points from their final three league matches. It would be Dortmund's best season haul in seven years. After Gladbach, their final two opponents are Eintracht Frankfurt (home) and Werder Bremen (away).

In the 2018-19 season, the Black and Yellows collected 76 points under coach Lucien Favre but Bayern still won the title.

In light of a long-running debate about Dortmund's mentality at crunch moments, Kovač said his influence could only go so far.

"As a coach, you and your staff can take a team to a certain point. Beyond that, the player decides," he said.

The Berlin-born Croatian coach, who has been at Dortmund since February 2025 and has a contract until June 2027, asked for patience.

"Jürgen Klopp also needed three years here to win his first championship as coach (in 2011)," the former Bayern boss said.