The 34-year-old was with the BVB since 2008 two German champions and three cup winners. “Unfortunately, injuries have thrown me back again and again in the last two years“said Schmelzer, who played 367 competitive games for Borussia.
Schmelzer made 16 appearances for Germany
Schmelzer will play his last game for BVB in June 2020.”I don’t know what’s coming yet, but I’m looking forward to the challenges“, says Schmelzer.
The now 34-year-old was in 2005 from the youth of the 1. FC Magdeburg switched to the Dortmund U19 team. Four years later he became European champion with the U21 national team in Sweden. In November 2010, Schmelzer completed his first of 16 international matches for the German national team.
Contract with Zagadou will not be renewed
In addition to Schmelzer, a player is also leaving BVB who recently returned to the starting XI after several injuries: Dan-Axel Zagadou. The expiring contract of the 22-year-old Frenchman will not be extended. This was confirmed by the next BVB-Sports Director Sebastian Kehl on Thursday in the “Ruhr News”: “We had a very frank conversation with each other and came to the decision not to renew his contract“, says Kehl.
Injury problems throw Zagadou back
Defender Zagadou was from Paris in 2017 Saint Germain came, but had to fight again and again with injury problems. In autumn 2020 he tore an outer ligament, in early 2021 a torn muscle fiber, followed by knee surgery the following autumn. At the beginning of 2022 he suffered another torn muscle fiber, which is why he was not available to the Westphalians until April.