I want to take Monaco back to the top says Kovac
SHOWS:
MONACO (JULY 22, 2020) (ASO MONACO - MUST ON SCREEN COURTESY ASO MONACO / NO RESALES)
1. NIKO KOVAC WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE WITH ASO MONACO CHAIRMAN OLEG PETROV AND DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL PAUL MITCHELL
2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASO MONACO COACH, NIKO KOVAC, SAYING:
"Yes it was a surprise. It went very quick and so that is the reason why I am only talking in English, not in French. And you know the reason is very easy. AS Monaco is a big, big club with big tradition and the last years weren't so successful like they hope here, and our goal, our aim is to bring AS Monaco back to the top of Ligue 1."
3. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASO MONACO COACH, NIKO KOVAC, SAYING:
"Yeah of course because France football is very successful, as a national team, you know, two times world champion and one of the best players are playing here and in the past most of the best players in the world are playing here or played here. I knew about a lot of clubs but nevertheless I have to improve all the clubs. I must know what they are doing here, and in the end, we have got to watch our team and the other teams has to watch AS Monaco."
5. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASO MONACO COACH, NIKO KOVAC, SAYING:
"First of all I know what was in the past but you can't change the past, we are looking forward in the future. Our aim is clear. We want to bring AS Monaco back to the top. So that means they have to play international. So if I say international I think you know what I mean."
7. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASO MONACO COACH, NIKO KOVAC, SAYING:
"As we spoke Oleg and Paul told me we will do enough to get a strong team and I believe in them. So that was the reason why I decided to come to Monaco because I trust Oleg, I trust Paul and last but not least I want to say thank you, thanks for the trust of the President Dmitry Rybolovlev, Oleg Petrov and of course Paul Mitchell. And it is up to me to pay back the trust they gave me, they give me. I want to pay back as fast as possible and I am here to work hard with the team to reach the highest step we can reach."
9. NEWS CONFERENCE ENDS
STORY: Former Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac has vowed to return Monaco to the top of Ligue 1 after replacing Roberto Moreno as manager.
Moreno was sacked after just seven months in charge, the third man to be fired in a year-and-a-half after the departures of Thierry Henry and Leonardo Jardim.
Monaco finished ninth in a season curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic, a disappointing placing after winning the league in 2017 and finishing second the year after, although an improvement on last year when they narrowly avoided relegation.
Kovac spent two seasons at Bayern Munich, but left the club before Christmas and has been out of work since.
The Croatian, 48, told a news conference on Wednesday (July 22) that although his appointment came as something of a surprise, he wanted to deliver Champions League football to the club and take them back up the table.
