Niklas Sule Borussia Dortmund centre back set to retire after current season

"I am announcing my retirement this summer," Sule stated, with his Borussia Dortmund contract due to end on 30 June. The centre back, who is presently sidelined by injury, has featured in 299 Bundesliga games and earned 49 caps for Germany.

Sule revealed he had been pondering retirement for a while. The decisive moment came following the mid April fixture against his old team TSG Hoffenheim, during which he picked up a knee problem.

He moved to Dortmund from Bayern Munich in summer 2022. In that time, Sule has appeared in 109 official games for the club, netting three times.

Health takes priority

"The sensation during the drawer test by our doctor in the Hoffenheim changing room, when he glanced at the physio and shook his head, then the physio tried and felt no resistance either, led me to the shower where I wept for 10 minutes," Sule recounted.

The prospect of a third anterior cruciate ligament rupture had been a major concern. Once the MRI results confirmed no major damage, it became absolutely certain to him that his career was finished.

Among his most poignant experiences was coming so close to the Bundesliga title in his debut campaign at Dortmund. "It ranks as one of the most thrilling episodes of my career, just prior to the Mainz encounter," he reflected on the closing day of the 2022/23 term.

During his next year with the team, Sule also made it to the Champions League final.