Dortmund boss Niko Kovac holds back tears as he is told about death of close friend Peter Hermann live on German TV

SportFootballBundesliga BORUSSIA DORTMUND manager Niko Kovac held back tears before cancelling an interview when he found out about the tragic death of close friend and assistant, Peter Hermann. Kovac, 54, was conducting an interview with Sky Sport Germany following Dortmund’s 1-0 win at Stuttgart when he was told of the news. Niko Kovac held back tears after he was told about the death of close friend, Peter Hermann Credit: Sky Sports Germany Kovac was told the news live on air after managing a 1-0 win for Borussia Dortmund Credit: Getty The Dortmund boss was visibly distressed by the announcement as presenter Sebastian Hellmann told him the news. He was told the news during the interview before relaying it to Kovac and pundits Lothar Matthaus and Julia Simic. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! Reacting to the news, Kovac said: “It leaves me a little short of breath. “One or two months ago I was still trying to speak to him, that was no longer possible at all. “Unfortunately his illness was incurable. “I am deeply saddened, a good person has left us.” Kovac had said that when he tried to speak to his old friend before, his call was answered by Hermann’s daughter. Hermann died at the age of 74 after a long battle against neurodegenerative illness amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Most read in Sport Hermann, who died at the age of 74 after a battle with ALS, was Kovac’s assistant for a year at Bayern Munich Credit: Getty He was an assistant to Jupp Heynckes when Bayern Munich won their first treble in 2013, and went back to Bayern when Heynckes returned in 2017, before staying on for a further year when Kovac took charge. He had been an assistant in over 1,000 matches for various clubs including Schalke, Hamburg, Bayer Leverkusen and Dortmund. Following his Sky interview, a distraught Kovac cancelled a media appearance with ZDF’s Aktuelles Sportstudio, as revealed by presenter Katrin Müller-Hohenstein on Saturday evening. Kovac fought back tears during his post-match press conference, saying: “From me and also from my brother, our sincere condolences to Peter’s family. “A great man has left us. “Not only as an assistant coach in Munich, but also as assistant coach when I was still a player in Leverkusen. “Really a shock.” Comment now