It's all about togetherness and to pay the other the necessary respect. If you do that, then we all would feel better. It is not always a taking but also a giving in both directions.
Niko Kovac
Empathy is important, openness, honesty, and an understanding for others.
Life writes the best stories.
We want to chase and seal the championship title. The decisive thing is to be at the top at the end of the season.
I prefer the 4-2-3-1 formation and stick to it but have my own interpretations.
In the emotion, you say things that you regret the next day.
Expectations run immensely high in Croatia. We may only be a small country, but people expect us to be our best at every major tournament.
You have seen it: You can put something into the world, and all of a sudden, everybody believes that. Like throwing a fishing rod and the fish bite into.
Just because a coach does not get out the clubs after a match but instead focuses on what he says, that's not an indicator of cluelessness.
Mentality beats quality.
The words 'give up,' 'raise the white flag' do not exist in my vocabulary.
There is only one Messi. No matter what I say, it's too little. You have to shower him with superlatives.
Those who know me know I'm always a fighter.
If teams play Bayern, they bring another attitude to the pitch than if they play teams who are not Bayern.
I am an optimist, not a dreamer.
Fitness gives you confidence, and if you're fit, you don't have to wonder whether you'll last the 90 minutes.
Everyone has their own taste, and you can argue about taste.
For the top stars, it's just more appealing to go to the Premier League than to Bundesliga.
A five-year contract is worth no more than a six-month contract these days; it's very concerning.
I don't need players who won't track back, and I'm certainly not keen on specialists.
For the players, these top, top, top games or these top, top, top events - like a World Cup or a European Championship - are not common but, of course, something special.
I don't underestimate any opponent.
You build up the opponent, and you lose confidence.
I'm a realist.
Every player at Bayern Munich wants to play and should play - they all have good reasons.
Attacking is the tough part in football; defending is relatively easy.
If the family sticks together, things are easy. If not, it will fall apart. There are several examples in history. Take Troy or take Caesar.
A coach should not stir up headlines after a match.
Giving up is the first way to fail. It does not exist for me.
We want to win all of our matches and focus on ourselves.
I question everything I do.
I'm a firm believer in science.
Of course, the attacking players get the attention because they score the goals, score nice goals, and those are the moments that remain in memory. But I wish that other players who are not in the foreground, who still perform well for their club or association, get more recognition.
Spending big money does not mean you win all the silverware.
That's the way people are in general: they see everything negatively at first and then choose to ask questions.
You can't manage every footballer the same. Of course you'd love to, but it doesn't work like that. We're not robots.
Real Madrid without Cristiano Ronaldo are, of course, not what they were with Ronaldo, but they're still a very good team.
I've always been someone who said that football is a contact sport.
If research can help us discover cures for diseases, it surely can improve a football team. Whether it's data analysis or biomechanics, it can give you an edge - and I'd be a fool if I didn't want that edge.
Football provides the most beautiful stories.
We cannot play soccer without hands. You need your arms while running.
Everyone wants to score goals - that's the point of football - but you have to look at the whole situation in detail.
Fortunately, I had some very good coaches.
For me personally, Pep Guardiola is the best coach in the world.
It's not easy to play against a team with a man down.
In Germany, it is normal, when games end, you shake hands with your players.
To say a player is past it at 29, 30 isn't right.
At Bayern, you always go into a season with the goal to win titles.
I have always said that I am a friend of VAR.
Competition means the best player will play.
