Niklas Süle emerging as a leading candidate to become Borussia Dortmund captain

According to Bild, Borussia Dortmund’s new captain will most likely be German international Niklas Süle.

After five years as Borussia Dortmund captain, it was recently made official that Marco Reus would be steeping down in his capacity as skipper. In a video announcement, Reus outlined that he would no longer wear the captain’s armband, and wished the club good fortune in terms of finding a successor.

There’s been much debate as to who amongst Dortmund’s current crop of players is worthy of being Reus’ replacement as the club’s leader on the pitch. According to BILD, Germany international Niklas Süle seems to be the front runner. The reasoning behind this claim is Süle’s history as a serial Bundesliga winner with Bayern Munich, (he won the league title in all of the five seasons he spent in Bavaria, unsurprisingly), as well as popularity in the dressing room.

While the report brings up good points that do indeed back up the argument for Süle to ascend to the captaincy, there is the issue of identification with the club to take into account. On one hand, the player joined Dortmund in a shock free transfer from Bayern Munich last summer, which signaled that the player felt he had something to prove, especially if he was able to make the jump from Germany’s perennial champions to their main competition in the league despite offers from abroad. On the other hand, there are players who have been with the squad for longer that perhaps are more entrenched at the club, and possibly more deserving.

Of the alternatives to Süle, Bild mentions both Emre Can and Gregor Kobel as having a chance at the armband. Can is a bit too hot-blooded for my taste, so the main alternative (and my personal choice), would have to be Kobel. A vocal, no nonsense organizer for Dortmund in defense, Kobel is by and large one of the main pillars for the club, and has shown his ability to lead by example. Be it on the pitch or in front of the media, Kobel has always conducted himself with passion and professionalism, often exuding a maturity well beyond his years. He’s been with the club for a bit longer than Süle, and once said that he would be happy to spend his career at Dortmund and create a legacy similar to that of Roman Weidenfeller’s; all signs of a player that is committed to the club, heart and soul.

It remains to be seen who Dortmund’s higher ups will choose as Marco Reus’ successor, but there is certainly a few candidates the club will be taking into account. Be it Süle, Kobel, or anyone else, the hope would be that whoever does end up becoming the next captain has the capacity to help guide the club into a new era of greater sporting success.