BREAKING NEWS: Bayern confirm Kovac as new coach

Eintracht Frankfurt boss Niko Kovac will take over as coach of Bayern Munich next season, the Bundesliga champions announced on Friday.

Widespread reports in Germany over the past couple of days had suggested the former Bayern defender had won the race to succeed Jupp Heynckes and the club’s sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic confirmed the news.

Salihamidzic said: "We agreed a three-year contract on Thursday.

"We are very happy that we can have Niko Kovac as the new coach of FC Bayern. Niko was a player at Bayern, he knows the characters, the structures and the DNA of the club very well.

"We are convinced that he is the right coach for the future of FC Bayern."

Kovac will be assisted by his brother Robert, who fulfils a similar role at Eintracht.

The appointment continues a remarkable upward trend for 46-year-old Kovac, who will take over on July 1, after an impressive spell in Frankfurt - his maiden job in club management.

After being overlooked for the RB Salzburg job in 2012, having coached the reserve team, Kovac took over as national team boss for his native Croatia.

He led them to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil but was then sacked after a disappointing qualifying campaign for Euro 2016.