 With the beginning of the 2005–06 season, Nikl seemed to fall out of coach Wolfgang Wolf's favor playing just five of the eleven games until Wolf's dismissal.With the arrival of new coach Hans Meyer, Nikl was back in the starting line-up playing all of the remaining twenty-two matches stabilising Nürnberg's defence in the process.Troubled by minor injuries and problems with his stamina, Nikl was forced to sit out the start of the following 2006–07 season coming on in only seven games.