Monaco (AFP)
Croatian Niko Kovac has been appointed coach of AS Monaco and has signed a three-season contract plus an optional year, the Principality club announced on Sunday evening.
After formalizing earlier today the departure of Spanish coach Robert Moreno, 42, and his staff of five, whose contracts ran until June 2022, Monaco therefore announced the name of its replacement : Niko Kovac, 48 years old.
"AS Monaco are pleased to announce the arrival of Niko Kovac as coach. The Croatian technician has initialed a three-year contract with an option to extend," the club said in a statement.
Former Croatian international, selection with which he disputed two World Cups (2002 and 2006) and two Euros (2004 and 2008), Niko Kovac trained the Croatian Hopes selection, before becoming national coach between 2013 and 2015.
Subsequently, Kovac coached Eintracht Frankfurt, with whom he won the German Cup in 2018. He then joined Bayern Munich with which he achieved the double Cup-Championship before being sacked last November after leading 65 meetings with the club.
"This season opens a new chapter for AS Monaco, with a strong sports orientation and aligned with the objectives of the club," said Monegasque Vice-President Oleg Petrov, who continued: "This direction will be embodied, as coach by Niko, recognized for his work in selection as in club, in the progression of young talents, the management of confirmed players and the ability to obtain very good results. "
"His energy, his way of working and his vision of the game make him the coach the club needs to assert its ambitions and build solid foundations to enable it to achieve lasting success," said Paul. Mitchell, the new sports director of the Monegasque club.
Kovac will conduct his first training this Monday at the La Turbie training center.
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