Borussia Dortmund’s Marius Wolf had fears about his career due to heart surgery

Borussia Dortmund’s Marius Wolf opened up about his recent heart surgery during his appearance on Ruhr Nachrichten’s 19:09 Talk, with the player notably stating he had feared for his career.

Professional footballers are often seen as athletes that are in peak condition and in the best of health due to the strenuous nature of the training they undergo to play for their clubs. Recent events surrounding Borussia Dortmund have shone a light on an unfortunate truth that, despite all of the physical activity, training, dieting and overall emphasis put on this lifestyle being one of general health and wellness, footballers can also fall prey to the trials and tribulations of serious illness.

Sébastien Haller’s inspiring story has become well-known, and his struggle and victory over cancer are a heartwarming example of a person overcoming adversity to continue doing what they love in life. Haller is not the only member of the current Dortmund squad to face the mental and physical strain of dealing with health complications, however. His teammate, Marius Wolf, has also recently had to deal with his own journey of diagnosis and recovery.

Wolf was diagnosed with a mild atrial fibrillation in November of last year. The player says this diagnosis made him fear for his career, and needed heart surgery to correct. The surgery and condition were only initially disclosed to family, and while Wolf himself was assured by medical professionals that the surgery would go well, the stress on him was quite substantial.

"“When a doctor says it will go well, that’s one thing. But that still doesn’t take away your fear. It is and remains a procedure on the heart.”"

The situation has left a mark on Marius Wolf, with the player stating that he still thinks about the issue at times.

"“I’d be lying if I said it’s completely gone, but on the pitch you’re so focused, you don’t have time to think about everything else…But then the thought also comes: you played 90 minutes of soccer, you can’t be that bad.”"

Heart conditions have garnered far more attention in recent years among the footballing community due to the impact that we’ve seen them have on players all over the world. Stories like those of Christian Eriksen and Sergio Augero underline just how serious heart complications can be and the impact they can have on the careers and lives of footballers. Each story is a cautionary tale in it’s own right which absolutely validates Wolf’s fears surrounding the situation.

Luckily, as we’ve seen since the restart of the Bundesliga season, Marius Wolf has been doing well both on and off the pitch since the procedure took place. After taking some time to recover while on medication, Wolf has been able to return and play a strong role in BVB’s current resurgence and climb up the table. He has been able to continue to play football having faced the threat of possibly ending his career prematurely, which is something both Wolf and the Borussia Dortmund faithful will be thankful did not come to fruition.