Former German international Niklas Süle has ended his professional football career at age 31, citing the mental and physical toll of the sport as the primary drivers for his decision.
The defender, who previously played for FC Bayern and most recently Borussia Dortmund, confirmed he had been contemplating retirement for several years before his final professional appearance, as reported by SPOX.com.
In a recent appearance on the podcast After The Final Whistle, Süle addressed long-standing public criticism regarding his fitness and lifestyle. The 49-time national team player admitted that his habits were a conscious choice rather than a lack of discipline.
“Maybe I drank three beers too often in my career and ate at McDonald’s,” Süle told LAOLA1. He emphasized that he never viewed football as his entire life, noting, “I didn’t want to have the feeling of living only for that for the next 15 years.”
The decision to retire was not triggered solely by his late-career injury concerns, but by a deeper sense of alienation from the professional industry. During his final two years at Borussia Dortmund, Süle struggled with the environment, revealing in the podcast that he experienced a panic attack while driving to a training session.
“I had a bit of panic and thought: Hey, something is wrong,” he told SPOX.com. This experience led him to question his compatibility with the demands of top-tier football, a sentiment his mother had reportedly shared with him previously.
Süle’s career was marked by significant success, including 171 appearances for Bayern Munich. Despite these achievements, he said that maintaining motivation became increasingly difficult over time.
“I have always loved football, but I was never a player who invested everything I had into football every day,” he explained to GMX.at. He also described an intense four-week period during his active career where he worked with personal trainers to lose 11 kilograms, adhering to a strict 1,500-calorie daily intake.
Since stepping away from the professional game last summer, Süle has returned to football on a recreational level. He is currently playing for SV Tiefenbach in the Kreisliga, where he has reportedly rediscovered his enjoyment of the sport. GMX.at said that he now feels comfortable sharing a beer with his new teammates, contrasting this with the scrutiny he faced as a Bundesliga professional.
Süle confirmed that his final professional match was a home game for Borussia Dortmund against Eintracht Frankfurt. He realized the significance of his departure the day after the match, having attempted to “soak up” the experience during his final weeks as a professional. “I needed just this one last game and that was it,” he told SPOX.com.
Did the decision to retire follow a specific injury?
No. While Süle faced multiple physical setbacks and injury concerns during his time at Dortmund, he said that the decision to retire had been maturing for several years before his final match, as reported by SPOX.com.
What is his current involvement in football?
Süle is currently active in the Kreisliga, playing for SV Tiefenbach, where he says he has regained his passion for the game, according to GMX News.
How many total Bundesliga games did he play?
According to LAOLA1, Süle completed 300 matches in the Bundesliga throughout his professional career.
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