The Croatian players who have played for Borussia Dortmund

Robert Kovac (2007-2009)

In the summer they signed Petrić, Borussia Dortmund also completed the free transfer of the vastly experienced Robert Kovac. The then 33-year-old defender was a two-time Bundesliga champion with Bayern Munich before overcoming a Serie B challenge in the wake of Juventus’ administrative relegation.

In his debut season at BVB, Kovac played a big part in the cup run. But he struggled to feature regularly in Bundesliga before Dortmund’s Wednesday opponents, Dinamo Zagreb, came calling in January 2009. 

Incidentally, Petrić’s first game as Dortmund’s opponent ended up being his last appearance at the club. Petrić scored and assisted the goals for Hamburg in a 2-1 win before a late red card for Kovac. Another 18 months later, in the footsteps of his older brother Niko, he retired from professional football and entered into a coaching career.