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Treble-chasing Bayern had tried to stick with
Heynckes, who had come out of retirement to take over in October
until the end of the season, but the 72-year-old turned down an
extension of his current deal.
"Niko Kovac will be the new coach from July 1, 2018," said
Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic in a statement. "We
agreed yesterday on a three-year contract.
"Niko was a Bayern player, he knows the people in charge as well
as the structure and the club's DNA. We are convinced he is the
right coach for the future of Bayern."
The 46-year-old, who had a long playing career in the
Bundesliga, was at Bayern between 2001-3.
The decision, however, in favor of Kovac marks a turn for
success-driven Bayern, who had previously opted for big-name
coaches including Champions League winners Heynckes, Louis van
Gaal and Pep Guardiola.
After retiring Kovac was briefly an assistant coach in Austria
and took over Croatia before signing with relegation-threatened
Eintracht Frankfurt in 2016 and turning them into Champions
League contenders this season.
His brother Robert, also a former Bayern player, will join him
from Frankfurt as his assistant.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Alison Williams and
Christian Radnedge)
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