Niklas Süle, 30, to retire at end of season after knee scare | OneFootball

Niklas Süle will retire at the end of the season. The Borussia Dortmund centre-back, capped 49 times by Germany, is 30.

The decision came after a knee injury last month against TSG Hoffenheim. He was withdrawn in the 42nd minute, with Ramy Bensebaini coming on, in a 1-2 defeat on matchday 30.

"When I had an MRI the next day and received the good news that it was not a cruciate ligament rupture, it was 1,000% clear to me that it was over," he said on the Spielmacher podcast.

He added: "I could imagine nothing worse than looking forward to my future life, being free, going on holiday, spending time with my children, then having to accept a third cruciate ligament rupture."

Developed at Hoffenheim, Süle joined Bayern Munich in 2017, winning five Bundesliga titles and the 2020 Champions League against PSG 1-0. He moved to Dortmund in 2022 and his contract runs to 30 June.

Dortmund are second in the Bundesliga. They face Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday, then finish their season on 16 May at Werder Bremen.

Source: L'Équipe