Nico Schlotterbeck
Joined in June 2022 / 116 appearances / Contract until June 2027
Nico Schlotterbeck would be my first choice to replace Emre Can as captain. Nico Schlotterbeck isn’t the kid who joined three years ago anymore. He’s twenty-five and one of the most important members of Borussia Dortmund’s squad. He starts nearly every matchday and maintains reasonable form even when the team struggles. He’s one of the few players who have stepped up this season and acted like a leader amidst Borussia Dortmund’s lowest points. He’s frequently seen walking to the Ultras after tough losses, and he doesn’t shy away from honest criticism in interviews, like after the Bochum game. He’s still young, but he seems committed to Dortmund and could become a mainstay at the club for years to come. Nico Schlotterbeck can be this team’s next long-term captain, and he deserves it.
"It doesn't matter which coach is out there. The team has to come out of its shell. We have to perform, we have to achieve a turnaround very, very quickly. We can't put in a good performance once a week; we have to do it every three or four days. The problem is that we have eleven players on the pitch. That doesn't mean that five or six players have to take the lead, but eleven players have to play well and we can't do that."Nico Schlotterbeck