Germany and Borussia defender Süle to retire at 30
Kyiv • UNN
Borussia Dortmund defender Niklas Süle has decided to retire from football this summer. The reason cited is his latest knee injury and a reluctance to risk his long-term health.
Germany and Borussia Dortmund defender Niklas Süle has announced his retirement from football at the age of 30 following another injury. The player made the announcement on the "Spielmacher" podcast, as reported by the Borussia press service and relayed by UNN.
"I would like to announce that I am ending my career this summer," Süle said.
The defender had been considering retirement for a long time, and the final decision was made after the match against Hoffenheim, where he suffered a knee injury.
"What I felt when our team doctor performed the 'drawer test' (a test to detect a possible cruciate ligament tear) in the dressing room in Hoffenheim, looked at the physiotherapist and shook his head, and the physiotherapist also performed the test and didn't feel any resistance either — I went into the shower and cried for ten minutes. At that moment, I really thought: 'It's torn'," Süle said.
He added that when he went for an MRI the next day and "received the good news" that it was not a cruciate ligament tear, it became "a thousand percent clear that it was over."
"I couldn't imagine anything worse than looking forward to life — being independent, going on vacation, spending time with my children — only to then have to come to terms with my third cruciate ligament tear," the defender added.
Addendum
30-year-old Niklas Süle began his professional career at German club Hoffenheim. In 2017, he moved to Bayern Munich for 20 million euros, where he became a five-time Bundesliga winner, a two-time German Cup winner, a four-time German Super Cup winner, as well as a Champions League and UEFA Super Cup trophy winner.
In addition, together with the German national team, he won the Confederations Cup, a tournament that took place in Russia.
In 2022, he joined Borussia Dortmund as a free agent. This season, the defender made only 10 appearances for Borussia, providing one assist.