By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Niko Kovac's first important test will come when the reigning league champion Bayern Munich faces the cup winner Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2018 German Supercup this Sunday evening.
The 46-year-old coach has already come in for some high praise by the club's leaders who see his arrival as a stroke of good fortune.
The beauty of an idyllic Bavarian evening may have encouraged Uli Hoeness to eulogize. "I'm the world's happiest man with Niko Kovac as Bayern coach. We'll have great fun with him," the Bayern Munich president said throwing a barbeque on the shore of the Tegernsee lake near his house.
"We ignored all the eggheads wanting to talk us into appointing Thomas Tuchel or some other coaches," Hoeness commented while barbequed sausages, pork and prawns and a rice dish with mushrooms were being served.
He spoke about the previous season's cup final defeat against Frankfurt (3-1) as being a "painful experience for our fans" but said that it helped to increase the new coach's acceptance and reputation. It was instrumental for all what happened since he arrived.
Kovac stands for the club's ideals of a family-like structure plus discipline and high ambition and the "mia san mia" (we are what we are) mentality. Winning the Cup was Kovac's first title as a coach.
Kovac's challenge seem enormous, it is nothing less than to win the Champions League and the upcoming German league championship. Immediately after Bayern appointed Kovac, the club was accused of only taking on the second-best choice.
The former Croatian national coach and former Bayern midfielder seems to be meeting the expectations of Bayern's bosses who made no secret of the club's plans such as to take on the top European sides such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City and Juventus.
"I'm a coach who wants to win every single title," Kovac emphasized. Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge promised Kovac's team "will attack". Rummenigge praised Kovac for his determination as it provides the framework for the team to be successful.
"He is dealing with an experienced team full of stars as if he has never done anything else," Rummenigge said.
So far, Kovac seems to have a calming influence on Bayern's high-powered squad. While he carries out the team's necessary rejuvenation and widens the team's tactical options, he is also taking care of the problematic cases like Robert Lewandowski. "We had a chat," Kovac said adding that he was convinced the Polish center forward was immensely valuable for the team. Lewandowski has accepted the club's refusal to allow him to leave this summer.
"Robert is one of the world's top three strikers. We need him and his outstanding quality," Kavoc said.
Kovac has so far managed to create a solid team spirit having integrated the youngsters like Serge Gnabry, Leon Goretzka, Kingsley Coman, Niklas Suele together with the "golden agers" like Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben.
"We train longer and harder than in the years before," said the German international Joshua Kimmich, adding "we will benefit from it during the course of the whole season."
Striker Thomas Mueller praised the team's new tactical variety and added, "we are better equipped to take advantage of the set pieces than in the past. It can be the key to success."
2014 World Champion Mueller admitted "we are extremely hungry" after the side last season missed out on winning the Champions League and German Cup.
Kovac said meeting his former team is very special to him but only the first step of a long season. A 1-0 win in a friendly against Manchester United last week and a 20-2 win against the FC Rottach-Egern amateurs enhanced the Bavarians good mood. Enditem
