Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac has held Japan in high regard during their pre-season tour of the country, calling it a 'wonderful country with wonderful people'.
The Croatian held a press conference ahead of their match against FC Tokyo on Saturday before the side flies back home to Dortmund.
It's been an eventful visit for them so far, engaging with the local fans and taking time out to explore the country besides also launching their third kit for the 2026-27 season.
Today was their sixth day in Japan and a second in Tokyo, where tomorrow's game is scheduled. But as their trip draws to a close, Kovac thanked Japan and their Dortmund supporters for their warmth.
"“We’re in a truly wonderful country with wonderful people. Although we’re here for sports, we keep having the opportunity to get to know the culture, the people, and the country. It’s fun. Japan is worth every trip.”"he said in the press conference
Dortmund have made a stop in Japan during the preseason for the second time in three years and a fourth time overall, having previously played in the country in 2015, 2017 and 2024. But unlike their past visits, where the BVB participated in just one game, the club would have played twice by the end of this one.
The BVB Evonik Japan Tour got off to a rocky start on Wednesday, however, as Kovac's side were beaten 1-0 by Cerezo Osaka in a disappointing performance from the Bundesliga giants, their second pre-season defeat in a row.
However, the manager reiterated their desire to win tomorrow while hailing the Japanese top-flight as a 'strong' league.
"“We’re here as players and want to win games. Above all, we want to put in strong performances. We can see how strong the Japanese league is and how many top-tier players compete there. We’ll take the game seriously.”"Kovac further added
Borussia Dortmund will be boosted by the return of five of their 2026 FIFA World Cup stars as Maximilian Beier, Waldemar Anton, Felix Nmecha, Daniel Svensson and Carney Chukwuemeka are all in line to make their first appearance of the pre-season.
Kovac has reportedly promised them at least 45 minutes of action - in keeping with the tradition of massive rotations in such friendly games - or perhaps could opt for more depending on the circumstances of the match.
Marcel Sabitzer and Ramy Bensebaini also reported back to work this week but haven't traveled with the squad while Julian Ryerson and Gregor Kobel will be the last pair of Dortmund stars to return.
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