Mourinho on Bayern links: I hope Kovac stays

Jose Mourinho says he hopes Niko Kovac keeps his job at Bayern Munich despite being touted as a potential replacement for the Croatian at the Allianz Arena.

Kovac took over from Jupp Heynckes in the close season and, despite a tough start to the campaign, the Bavarian side now sit one point clear atop the Bundesliga following their 5-0 hammering of title rivals Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Mourinho, who has been out of work since being sacked by Manchester United in December, says Bayern are a great club but he is not lobbying for the top job.

“Of course, Bayern are a giant,” he told Sport Bild.

“I honestly assure you that I hope Niko keeps his job because he has worked very hard to reach that level.”

Mourinho is also now backing Bayern to win their seventh straight German title, despite a tricky run-in which includes a difficult trip to RB Leipzig.

“They have their fate in their own hands. There are still three away games, Leipzig especially will not be easy. But it is hard to imagine that Bayern don’t win the title,” he added.

The former Real Madrid and Chelsea boss hailed the overall competitiveness and spectacle that the Bundesliga provides.

“The Bundesliga provides an exciting competition for me, especially the teams in mid-table, who are constantly improving,” he said.

“There are full stadia, good organisation and good tactical approaches in many teams – I think the Bundesliga is really interesting.”