In the first round of the DFB-Pokal, Borussia Dortmund will face HBC Hamburg. Black and Yellows coach Kovac spoke to the media before the match about Inacio's controversial behavior after being sent off the pitch.

After Inacio was sent off, he threw a water bottle at the Borussia Dortmund crest in the player tunnel, which sparked harsh criticism on social media. How should one communicate with a player like that in this situation? And how can he be helped to recover?

Let me ask you back: is there anyone with a different opinion? If so, why don't we talk to you? We have to learn not to give them a platform. That's why we need to do this, and I'm speaking here for my young player, showing the positive side.

The boy is only 18 years old, it's not a big issue, I've already handled it. Honestly, we don't need to make a mountain out of a molehill. If we do, we'll all go down the wrong path. Being sent off really hit Inacio hard, and we know he has a fiery temperament—he's from Southern Europe, so sometimes his emotions get out of control. That's normal; he's still young. The key is that we didn't hurt anyone, and even playing with ten men, we still managed to secure a win.

How do you plan to set up your team for this match? Will there be significant rotation? Or will you treat this match as a warm-up as well?

Yes, we'll definitely make some adjustments, but we'll also keep some players in the starting lineup. We need to see how the players who played last Saturday are doing today. Of course, we still have more than 24 hours to prepare, and we'll also give opportunities to others—that's clear. I take every match seriously, and the only certainty is that Kobel won't play, and Meyer will start. This is a decision I made after consulting with the goalkeeper coach.

The Champions League schedule has been announced, and Borussia Dortmund will play three consecutive away matches within six days against Bodø/Glimt, Union Berlin, and Al-Shabab. The constant long-distance travel is certainly unacceptable to the fans, and I imagine it's also a major burden on the team. What was your first reaction when you saw this schedule?

We still need to know when we'll play Union Berlin. The kickoff time hasn't been set yet. It should be on Saturday, or perhaps a late kickoff. Let's wait and see. Once the kickoff time is confirmed, we'll know what we need to do next.

Borussia Dortmund has received two red cards in the last two matches, which is somewhat high. Is this also a topic of discussion within the team? To what extent can you, as head coach, influence this? How is Inacio, who was sent off in the last match, doing now?

Yes, being sent off really affected him, because when you come on, you have to go off again after two and a half or three minutes. And we all know he has a hot temperament—he's from Southern Europe, and sometimes things get a bit out of control. That's normal; he's still young.

I don't want to overemphasize those two red cards; they were indeed two clear offenses. Yes, there were some infractions, but my players somehow moved in that direction. What matters is that we didn't hurt anyone, and that's the most crucial aspect. We even managed to create two good chances with 10 players against Bayern Munich. Yes, even if you get a red card, you still have to make sure you get the points you need, and my team did that. This shows that the team knows what matters most, what's most crucial. They don't give up; they have a clear plan. Regarding Inacio, I've already said all that needs to be said, and we don't need to elaborate further.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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