After transfer rumours: remarkable BVB U-turn on Schlotterbeck | OneFootball

Nico Schlotterbeck receives his next personal accolade. At BVB, the defender is increasingly growing into a central role after the months-long contract poker last season.

This time, the recognition comes directly from the competition: Nico Schlotterbeck has been voted into the “VDV 11” of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season by his fellow professionals. For the Borussia Dortmund center-back, the award is further proof of the status he now holds.

In the vote held by the Association of Contract Football Players, Schlotterbeck received 52.5 percent of the votes. That gave him the highest approval rating among the selected defenders. The 26-year-old had already made the Team of the Year in 2021/22 and 2024/25. This time, he is joined there by Bayern stars Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, and Harry Kane, among others.

Schlotterbeck’s importance within Dortmund itself has also increased again recently. After his comeback following a torn ligament, the Germany international is once again a central pillar of BVB’s defense. At the same time, he is taking on more responsibility as a leader. With Emre Can sidelined through injury, Schlotterbeck is also moving further into focus when it comes to the captaincy.

Despite BVB turnaround: Schlotterbeck’s release clause remains

Just how much he is embracing that role became clear after the 1-0 win in Stuttgart. According to BILD, Schlotterbeck sought out contact with the Dortmund supporters immediately after the final whistle and then also got his teammates to go together to the away end. His emotional manner is now being well received again. His choice of seat also got some laughs. When asked “Blue or red?”, he replied bluntly: “Both are shit.”

Photo: IMAGO

The relationship with the fans had by no means always been so harmonious beforehand. The release option included in his contract, which runs until 2031, had especially caused discussion. By now, however, BVB is visibly positioning Schlotterbeck as one of its defining faces. The fan shop even offers its own collection centered around the defender.

Things are also going well for Dortmund on the pitch. Schlotterbeck recently summed up the situation like this: “Things could be going worse. We now want to stay on this path so that we play very successful football.” Whether he will continue on that path with BVB in the long term remains to be seen, however. His release clause could become a topic again as early as next summer.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.