• Kovac has been under intense scrutiny after crashing out of the Champions League in the last-16 and overseeing indifferent form all season.
• Ballack was one of those top stars lured by the prospect of working with Mourinho back in 2006.
Image: / File
Michael Ballack believes the appointment of Jose Mourinho at Bayern Munich would ‘bring glamour to the club’.
The former Bayern midfielder worked with Mourinho during the Portuguese coach’s first managerial stint with Chelsea.
The Bundesliga champions have lost their customary dominance of the German top flight and this season face staunch opposition from Borussia Dortmund, who trail Niko Kovac’s side by just a point.
Kovac has been under intense scrutiny after crashing out of the Champions League in the last-16 and overseeing indifferent form all season.
And Ballack, who spent four years with Bayern and won three domestic titles, believes the club, who are affectionately known as ‘FC Hollywood’ in Germany, need a coach of a Mourinho’s calibre in order to restore their glamour in a league that may soon struggle to attract the game’s biggest stars.
“Right now Niko Kovac is the head coach and that should be respected,” the 42-year-old told Bild. “He does a good job. [But] one cannot deny that, at some point in the future, the appointment of Mourinho would bring a certain glamour to the club and the Bundesliga.”
“It has been seen with Pep Guardiola — his appointment gave the league a giant jolt, even if he did not win the Champions League at the end with Bayern. Guardiola introduced a certain style of play, he’s an exceptional coach. In addition, the international profile of each club is many times higher when you get Guardiola or Mourinho.”
“With a coach like Mourinho, it’s probably easier for a club to get top stars. At the moment, the Bundesliga does not have the same appeal for world-class players as the Premier League. But Bayern would be well-advised to have world stars in their team.”
Ballack was one of those top stars lured by the prospect of working with Mourinho back in 2006. He became an integral part of Mourinho’s side but only lifted the League Cup under his stewardship, as the coach was dismissed a year into Ballack’s Stamford Bridge stay.
Mourinho has won league titles in every country in which he has worked, but he is currently out of work after being sacked by Manchester United in December. He has appeared frequently as a television pundit but he has revealed a keen desire to return to management by the start of next season.
“The coach position is very special I like the daily work, competing in several competitions, playing games,” Mourinho said. “I want to train a club, I want to find a place for this summer, in June for the pre-season. I know exactly what I do not want, that’s why I’ve already rejected three or four offers. And I know what I want, not the name of the club, but the work style, workload. I know what I want and that’s what I hope for.”