Schlotterbeck raring to go: „This team can go far!“ | OneFootball

Nico Schlotterbeck is back at Borussia Dortmund. After his long injury layoff, the 26-year-old wants to quickly become the leader he was before. In the interview, Schlotterbeck says about his return to the pitch: “It’s a great feeling. Above all, it lifts my mood again. When I’m injured, I’m not in the best of moods. That’s why I’m extremely happy to be back on the training ground every day and, above all, to be able to play matches again. I really missed the boys too!”

Before his comeback last Saturday against Paderborn, it was not nerves but excitement that prevailed: “I was really happy. With football, we’re all chasing a certain addiction, and I missed playing in front of the fans again, in a big stadium, enjoying football again. That’s why this time I didn’t feel tense at all, but was simply looking forward to the game.”

Schlotterbeck honest: “Extremely tough”

As great as Schlotterbeck’s joy is at being back, the injury he suffered in Germany’s World Cup group-stage match against Ivory Coast had hit him just as hard. The center-back described the period directly after being ruled out of the World Cup as “extremely tough” and “the hardest time of my career in football so far.”

During the long rehab phase in July and August, much of which he completed together with injured BVB captain Emre Can (torn cruciate ligament), Schlotterbeck had one goal above all: “To come back as quickly as possible so I can give the team my football and stability again.”

The defender is delighted with Borussia’s performances so far in the 2026/27 season: “Having that excitement at the start of a season is always good because it gives the team much more confidence. We started the season well with that great first half against Hamburg. That immediately gives the fans a good feeling about the season too. We’ve won all three of our Bundesliga matches and also won in the DFB-Pokal and the Champions League. Things could be worse. Now we want to stay on this path and play very successful football.”

Schlotterbeck describes the atmosphere within the team after the successful start to the season as “very good.” Speaking about the squad and the new faces in the team, the number 4 says: “The mood is good. Players who maybe didn’t play that much last year are performing now. The new signings who came in are all at a top level. Just thinking about Joane Gadou next to me at center-back: that’s absolute top class! I’m very happy and also feel that this team is capable of achieving a lot!”

As early as Saturday, in the away match against VfB Stuttgart, Schlotterbeck wants to make another statement with his Black and Yellows: “Hopefully we stay in the flow! In Stuttgart, we’ll also have to suffer a bit at times. It’s a ball-oriented team that does that very well. We won 2–0 there last year, but if we’re honest, we didn’t play that well. We want to change that this year. Still, the result is what matters most. We’re full of confidence, we’ve drawn the right conclusions from last year, and we have a good match plan to hopefully win the game.”

Call-up for the Germany team

After his comeback in a Borussia Dortmund shirt, a new chapter is also beginning for Nico Schlotterbeck in the German national team. The new national coach Jürgen Klopp had already contacted him during his rehab phase and called him up to the Nations League squad on Thursday. Klopp assured Schlotterbeck in direct talks that he is “definitely” part of his plans.

The national coach has selected the Dortmund player for the entire international break. “I’m really looking forward to it. It’s a new era he’s ushering in, and hopefully a successful one!” Speaking about his new national team coach, he says: “The track record he has here in Dortmund and in Liverpool is really, really good.”

Schlotterbeck presents his own fashion collection

Schlotterbeck has also recently been in the spotlight off the pitch, namely with his first own fashion collection, “Art Of Defense.” He says he received positive feedback from his BVB teammates: “There was good feedback in the dressing room! I gave Marcel Sabitzer, Emre Can and Alex Meyer a full set.” He also received positive feedback from friends and some fans.

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