By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Minor mishaps don't seem to stop Niko Kovac on his delicate rescue mission in Dortmund.
Arriving before sunrise on Sunday morning at the club's training center in the northeastern suburb of Brackel, the 53-year-old and his entourage missed the entrance to the compound, instead leaving their car outside in a public parking spot.
Waiting media helped with detailed directions and the former Croatia international made his way to start his first day in office, stamped by talks with the club's leaders such as CEO Lars Ricken and sporting director Sebastian Kehl and a short welcome address in front of the first-team squad.
Interim coach Mike Tullberg, the club's under-19 manager, was unbeaten in his three games in charge against Werder Bremen (2-2), Heidenheim (2-1), and in the UEFA Champions League against Shakhtar (3-1).
Intense negotiations are on the way to secure the transfers of 21-year-old Lyon midfielder Rayan Cherki and 22-year-old Swedish full-back Daniel Svensson. Other reports speak of Chelsea's 21-year-old midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka as a target.
While Dortmund gained ground in the league campaign, nothing less than a victory will do in the upcoming Bundesliga match against Stuttgart.
Closing the four-point gap to fourth-placed RB Leipzig seems a realistic goal, but the club must end its internal power struggles to deliver full support for the new coach.
Media reports speak of the expected sacking of technical director Sven Mislintat, and the club having instructed advisor Matthias Sammer to skip his appearances as a TV pundit for Dortmund games.
While reports speak of Mislintat being stuck in disagreements with Kehl undermining the sporting directors' authority, Sammer was in the headlines with harsh critics regarding the team's mental and physical state under Sahin.
While Tullberg harvested widespread appreciation for his emotions among fans, Kovac's strict working patterns seem inevitable to return to consistent happiness.
The former Bayern midfielder is said to rely on strict discipline and first close the team's gaps in defense. ■
