Inside the rebuild of Borussia Dortmund

Ahead of the return of the Bundesliga, Adam Bate visits Borussia Dortmund to speak to head coach Niko Kovac as well as players and executives to find out how the perennial challengers to Bayern Munich are returning to first principles in an attempt to win again...

There is optimism at Borussia Dortmund again. A new season upon the German giants and the sense of a team not just rebuilding but recapturing something lost. “Overall, we are mixing a good team,” explains head coach Niko Kovac at the club’s training ground.

"Four players left. We bought some new talented players and also one experienced player. So we kept the spine, the experienced players, the goalkeeper, the centre-back, the midfielder. And now we are trying to create the BVB, I would say, from the past."

That means the sort of talents who can thrill the fans packed onto that Yellow Wall, those able to play the rock-and-roll football that has defined Dortmund since the days of Jurgen Klopp. More counter-pressing, less control. Football with a bit more feeling.

Dortmund had drifted away from this core principle. The focus shifted to older signings. It was seen as an attempt to protect their position, prioritising the need to play it safe in an attempt to guarantee Champions League qualification. Not very Dortmund.

The experienced player Kovac refers to is Joey Veerman, a 27-year-old midfielder from PSV Eindhoven. But it is the acquisition of two Greek wingers, the eye-catching Giannis Konstantelias and the 18-year-old prospect Konstantin Karetsas, that has fans talking.

In the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup , the atmosphere inside Signal Iduna Park ignited when Konstantelias came on for the second half and started running at Bayern Munich's defence. Dortmund were desperately close to turning around a two-goal deficit.

Speaking to Julian Ryerson afterwards about his new teammates, the experienced Norwegian said: "It looks positive, yeah. We also had some good players last year but I hope it takes us to a new level, of course. I hope and I think that we are on a good path."

It will not be easy. Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt were proven in the Dortmund black and yellow. They are gone now. "We need to replace these goals, it is clear," says Kovac. "Of course, when you buy new players, you never know if it is going to work or not."

But perhaps that's part of the thrill. Dortmund are daring to dream once again, gambling on the potential for greatness, hoping for more. "Our expectations are high because we saw that, especially the offensive players, the two Greek ones, they have a big talent."

Is Kovac the man to coax out that talent? He is a proven winner but one who has something of a reputation for prioritising perspiration over inspiration so it will be fascinating to see whether he can provide the framework for these youngsters to thrive.

What is Niko Kovac football? When that question is put to the man himself, he admits it is something that he once asked a friend. His reply? Successful football. It is a fair point.