Borussia Dortmund defender Niklas Süle has announced that he will retire from professional football when his contract expires at the end of the season.
“I would like to announce that I will be ending my career this summer,” Süle, who is currently sidelined, told the Spielmacher podcast.
“What I felt when our team doctor did the drawer test in the dressing room in Hoffenheim, looked at the physio and shook his head, and the physio did it too and didn’t feel any resistance either – I went into the shower and cried for ten minutes. In that moment, I really thought: ‘It’s torn,” added the 30-year-old.
“When I went for an MRI the next day and received the good news (that it wasn’t a cruciate ligament tear after all), it was one thousand per cent clear to me that it was over. I couldn’t imagine anything worse than looking forward to life – being independent, going on holiday, spending time with my children – only to then have to come to terms with my third cruciate ligament tear.”
Since his move from Bayern Munich in 2022, Süle has played 109 games across all competitions for Die Schwarzgelben. “When I look back on my four years in Dortmund, there were so many moments I really enjoyed,” he added.
“The banter in the dressing room, the stadium – we’re talking about 80,000 people here. The fans always gave me a warm welcome. I’m going to miss that time very much. How at home I felt here. On my first day, I noticed what the people in Dortmund are like: open, warm, honest. I felt a huge connection with that. My children go to nursery here. It’s really hard for us to leave.”
GGFN | Daniel Pinder
