Borussia Dortmund cult hero Mats Hummels has announced his departure from the club – one day after coach Edin Terzic resigned..
The news is a heavy blow for Dortmund fans, as the 35-year-old has had two successful stints at Signal Iduna Park.
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Hummels will leave the club as a free agent at the end of the month to succeed Terzic amid reports of a heated dispute between the two.
German news agency BILD revealed that the couple were embroiled in a major scandal ahead of the Champions League final, which Dortmund lost to Real Madrid in June.
But Hummels had only positive things to say about the Bundesliga giants in his farewell speech and praised both the coaching staff and his loyal supporters.
On the club website he explained: “Dear fans, my time in black and yellow is coming to an end after a total of over 13 years.
“It was a great honour and pleasure for me to be able to play for BVB for so long and to have witnessed the journey from 13th place in January 2008 to what Borussia Dortmund is today.
“This club and its fans are something very special – and even more so for me.
“I would also like to thank all BVB employees who do a great job for this club and of course the countless great coaches and great teammates that I have had the pleasure of getting to know here.
“I keep my fingers crossed that you will all meet again to celebrate at Borsigplatz as soon as possible.
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“Until then, I will cheer from afar and hopefully from time to time in the stadium. I will miss you.”
Hummels’ former teammate and current BVB sports director Sebastian Kehl added: “With Mats Hummels we are undoubtedly losing an outstanding personality, perhaps one of the last of his kind in football.”
“In the course of his career, Mats has not only shaped BVB, but has also taken the central defender game worldwide to a new level.
“He has won titles with us, not least the first double in our club’s history. In addition, Mats is a real guy who always challenges himself and others.”
“I thank Mats for his passion, for his will to succeed, but also for his rough edges.
“The entire BVB wishes him all the best for his sporting and private future.
“Personally, I will always remain close to Mats, whom I have greatly admired for many, many years.”
Hummels initially came to Dortmund on loan from FC Bayern Munich in January 2008, but the club turned his temporary stay into a permanent move.
Together with Neven Subotic, Hummels formed an impressive duo and helped Dortmund to their second Bundesliga title in a row in 2011 and 2012. In the same year, he also won the DFB Cup.
He then helped Dortmund reach the Champions League final in 2013, where they lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich at Wembley.
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After winning the 2014 World Cup with Germany, Hummels returned to the Allianz Arena, where he won three league titles and another DFB Cup in three more years.
In 2019, Dortmund brought him back to the club, where he once again became an important member of the defense.
And in 2021, he was able to add another DFB-Pokal win to his trophy collection, but he was unable to add the European Cup as he lost again in the Wembley final two weeks ago.
Overall, Hummels ended his Dortmund career with 38 goals in 508 games in all competitions. Only Michael Zorc played more for the club. [572 matches].