Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovač is feeling the pressure—and he’s not afraid to point fingers at the Bundesliga’s gold standard.

Dortmund’s season has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, with flashes of brilliance one week and frustrating inconsistency the next. Currently sitting second in the table, the Black and Yellows are on pace for a respectable but hardly inspiring points total. The football on display under Kovač has drawn plenty of criticism, and the former Bayern Munich boss is now on the defensive.

“I ask you: Who—besides Bayern Munich—consistently plays attractive football in the Bundesliga? And is attractiveness more important than success?” Kovač told Frankfurter Allgemeine. “You have to understand that the Bundesliga isn’t a theater stage where every performance is the same; much is unpredictable. Almost no club offers its fans four goals and spectacular attacking football every week.”

Kovač argues that Dortmund have shown “very good and attractive football” this season but admits they lack what Bayern have in abundance: an incredibly deep squad packed with exceptional individual talent. “113 goals in 31 games is extraordinary. Not even the richest clubs in England can currently match that. That has to be acknowledged without envy.”

He’s not wrong—Bayern’s attacking output this season has been historic. But there’s irony in Kovač’s words. He previously managed Bayern and was sacked after a turbulent spell, only for the same squad to win the Champions League under Hansi Flick shortly after. That memory lingers.

Dortmund’s struggles continued this week with a 1-0 loss to mid-table Borussia Mönchengladbach. The club clearly needs a turnaround—but the question remains: should the changes start on the pitch or in the dugout?

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