Niklas Süle to Retire at End of Season

Niklas Süle, the 30-year-old Borussia Dortmund defender and former Germany international, announced Thursday that he will retire from professional soccer at the end of the current season when his contract expires.

Süle, a five-time Bundesliga champion who won the Champions League with Bayern Munich in 2020, revealed his decision on the Spielmacher podcast. The announcement followed a knee injury he sustained in a match against Hoffenheim on April 18. Initial medical tests raised fears of a third anterior cruciate ligament tear, prompting a moment of clarity for the player.

"I'm very, very clear about my decision," Süle said. He recounted the incident in detail: after the team doctor performed a drawer test in the dressing room and shook his head, indicating possible ligament damage, Süle retreated to the shower and cried for 10 minutes. Scans the next day confirmed no ACL tear, but the scare solidified his choice. "It was 1,000 percent clear to me that it was over," he said. "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."