Borussia Dortmund defender Niklas Sule has announced he will retire from professional football this summer at the age of 30 following a recent injury scare.
The Germany international suffered a knee injury during Dortmund’s Bundesliga defeat to TSG Hoffenheim last month and initially feared he had sustained a third cruciate ligament tear.
Although medical examinations later confirmed the injury was not as serious as first feared, Sule admitted the experience made him realise it was time to end his playing career.
Speaking on the Spielmacher podcast, the former Bayern Munich defender revealed the emotional toll the incident had on him.
“After the first tests, I went into the shower and cried for 10 minutes,” Sule said.
“In that moment, I really thought: ‘It’s torn.’”
The defender explained that even after receiving positive MRI results the following day, he had already made up his mind to retire rather than risk another long-term injury setback.
“When I got the good news that it wasn’t a cruciate ligament tear, it became 1,000% clear to me that it was over,” he said.
“I couldn’t imagine anything worse than looking forward to life after football — spending time with my children, travelling, being independent — and then having to go through a third cruciate ligament tear.”
Sule’s contract with Dortmund is set to expire on June 30, and he will officially retire after the club’s final match of the season.
During his career, Sule enjoyed major success with Bayern Munich, winning five Bundesliga titles and lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2020 before joining Dortmund in 2022.
At international level, he earned 49 caps for Germany national football team, represented his country at two FIFA World Cups, and helped Germany win the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017.