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

After Inacio was sent off, he threw a water bottle at the Borussia Dortmund emblem in the player tunnel and faced severe criticism on social media. In such a situation, how should one communicate with such a player? And how can he be helped to recover?

Let me ask in return: does anyone have a different opinion? So why don't we talk to you about it? We must learn not to give them a voice anymore. Therefore, we should do this, and I am speaking here for my young players, showing the positive side.

This lad is only 18 years old. This is not a big deal; I have already dealt with it. To be honest, we don't need to make a mountain out of a molehill, otherwise we will all go down the wrong path. Being sent off was a huge blow to Inacio. We know he has a fiery temper and comes from Southern Europe, so sometimes emotions get out of control, which is normal for a young man. The key is that we didn't hurt anyone, and despite being a man down, we still managed to secure the victory.

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 game?

Yes, we will definitely make some adjustments, but we will also keep some players in the starting lineup. We need to see how the players who played last Saturday are feeling today. Of course, we still have over 24 hours to prepare, and we will also give others a chance, that is also clear. I take every match very seriously, and the only thing for certain is that Kobel will not play. Meyer will start, which is a decision I made after consulting with the goalkeeping coach.

The Champions League schedule has been announced, and Borussia Dortmund will have to play three away games in six days against Bodø/Glimt, Union Berlin, and Al-Shabab respectively. Continuous long-distance travel is certainly unacceptable for fans, and I imagine it's also a big burden for 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 kick-off. Let's wait and see. Once the kickoff time is arranged, we'll know what to do next.

Borussia Dortmund has received two red cards in the last two matches, which is quite high. Has this become a topic of discussion within the team? To what extent can you, as head coach, influence this? How is Inacio, who received a red card in the last match, doing now?

Yes, being sent off really affected him, because when you come on and then have to leave after two and a half or three minutes. And we all know he has a very bad temper. He comes from Southern Europe, and sometimes things get a little out of control. That's normal; he's a young man.

I don't want to overemphasize those two red cards; they were indeed two relatively clear fouls. Yes, there were a few fouls, but my players somehow went in that direction. The important thing is that we didn't hurt anyone, and that's the most crucial aspect. We even managed to create two excellent chances when playing with 10 men against Bayern Munich. Yes, even if you get a red card, you still have to make sure you get the necessary points, and my team did that. This shows that the team knows what is most important and what is most critical. They didn't collapse, and they had a clear plan. Regarding Inacio, I've already said all that needs to be said; there's no need to elaborate further.

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