Ahead of Eintracht Frankfurt's Champions League away match against Bodø/Glimt, Kovač discussed contract extension with the club, his absence from the Schalke squad, the artificial pitch situation, the team's defensive issues, and the opponent's strengths.

The club announced your contract extension today. Could you first speak about that, then update us on the squad situation—who's available, who's out, and why you're leaving Schalke off the roster?

I'll keep it brief on the extension. As I've said before, the whole process was quick and didn't take much time. We're delighted. Both sides are satisfied with the decision to continue together and build on the current foundation. There's always been trust between us. I think everyone saw it coming, and this deal just makes it official. But that's done now. We need to focus on what really matters—tomorrow's match.

Regarding the squad, as everyone knows, we're not taking Schalke. After his injury with the German national team, he recovered quite quickly and played in the last Bundesliga match. However, he's not ready for tomorrow, or more precisely, his ankle isn't. After discussing with him and the medical staff, we decided together that it's not appropriate for him to play tomorrow. Apart from that, all other players are here. Julian didn't play in the last Bundesliga match, but he trained today. We expect to have a strong squad of 23 players available for tomorrow's match.

Tomorrow is an exceptional match. You mentioned giving Schalke proper rest because this fixture isn't suitable for him—possibly because of the pitch. I'd like to ask from a player's perspective about the artificial pitch. When was the last time you played on one? How much does this type of surface change your game?

As Julian mentioned, many players have played on artificial pitches since childhood. I have too. Yes, I started my career on artificial turf and later played on better-quality synthetic pitches. It's clear that the ball moves faster on artificial surfaces. Tomorrow we'll kick off at 9 p.m., and since the pitch will be quite wet, the ball will move even faster than on a regular pitch.

We don't know yet if there are undersoil heating systems. If there are, that changes things further. But all players are familiar with these conditions. We shouldn't overstate this problem. It's a special circumstance, but it's not unfamiliar to us.

The key is that we have to adapt quickly to these conditions. That's why we're training on the artificial pitch today. Normally, our final pre-match training is at Eintracht's stadium. But considering the pitch conditions here, I want to prepare the players properly in advance.

Nico, congratulations on your contract extension. Let's discuss this further. In such negotiations, both sides should also discuss their common objectives for the coming years. What are your specific goals within this contract period? During the negotiations, did you explicitly discuss competing for the Champions League trophy?

No. As I said at the start of the season, we've already discussed what we want to achieve. We've stabilized the team, and now we want to continue building on that foundation. We want to play with strength and purpose—and we definitely have that purpose. I believe the path we've taken since arriving here is heading in a positive direction. But the past doesn't matter anymore. We've done many good things, but there's still plenty of room for improvement. I want to work on this together with the coaching staff and all team members, especially the players. So in the coming weeks, months, and years, we're really looking forward to what will happen.

Regarding the artificial pitch, do you make specific tactical adjustments? For example, do you have players train with different studs considering the pitch's friction and grip? Do you instruct the medical staff in advance to watch for sudden directional changes?

As Julian said, many players have experience with artificial pitches. I do too. Yes, I played on basic artificial surfaces early in my career and later on higher-quality ones. It's clear that the ball moves faster on artificial pitches. I've played on them myself. Tomorrow at 9 p.m., with the wet conditions expected, the ball will travel faster than on a natural pitch.

We don't yet know if there are undersoil heating systems. If there are, gameplay changes even more. But all players are accustomed to these conditions. We shouldn't make a big fuss about this problem. It's an exceptional situation, but it's not unfamiliar to us.

We discussed the challenging conditions of the artificial pitch earlier, but I think the opponent itself is formidable. Tell us about Bodø/Glimt's distinguishing features, especially when they play at home on this pitch. What makes them so threatening? What are their strengths?

I think everyone knows their recent results. Many big clubs have come here and experienced how difficult it is to play here. We're well aware of that. We know for certain that tomorrow will be an extremely intense and difficult match for us.

But we're optimistic. We believe there are ways to win this match, and we're confident. However, no match is easy, especially not in the Champions League.

Last season in the Champions League, Bodø/Glimt drew 2-2 at your home and caused you problems. Are you thinking about that match now as you head to Norway?

Yes, we know the result from last year. I think we started well. When they equalized to 2-2, I remember we were down to ten men. Gio Reyna was injured and off the pitch, and after he came back on, they scored and made it 2-2.

They're a team to take seriously. I'll say again, whether we play in Norway or Germany, nothing changes. You can see the progress of Norwegian football—not just the national team, but also club football, which has been performing well for decades.

During my playing career, my national team was represented by Rosenborg, and now it's Bodø/Glimt and Viking. So tomorrow is genuinely a very difficult task for us. But we'll face it with great optimism and the understanding that it won't be easy.

You've lost three consecutive Champions League away matches and conceded over three goals per match in your last six games. Do you see common problems here, or are these isolated incidents of poor performance?

In the last match, we conceded two goals, one of them late in the game. The number of goals we conceded last season was more than I would have accepted. That's true, we've noticed it, and I've told the team about it.

In Champions League matches, we need a solid defense to have chances to win. That's our goal. We want to play good defensive football as usual, and yes, tomorrow we want to capitalize on the chances that will certainly come. So we understand what this match means. The Champions League season has begun, we have one win already, and yes, I'm hoping we can produce an even stronger performance tomorrow in terms of defensive stability.

On this pitch, you can't play your usual pressing game or engage in early physical confrontations. Will this limit your pressing intensity and counter-pressing after losing the ball? Could this affect your tactical setup and player selection?

Yes, we're trying to implement our style of play. That's clear—the opponent wants to do the same. Actually, on this type of pitch, directional changes are more difficult. Sudden stops or changes of direction are harder. But that means we need to make certain adjustments.

I'll add this: the players have played many matches on artificial pitches since childhood and have certainly trained on them numerous times. So tomorrow's pitch won't surprise us. That's why I'm glad we can train here today. I hope we can start on time. If not, don't worry—we may need some warm-up time in the gym anyway, so if we arrive at the pitch a bit later, that's fine.

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