When we talk about BVB players who deserve a pat on the back after last season, I don’t think BVB fans have many to hand out. Constant spikes and dips in form on a week-to-week basis were an unreasonable trend that most players on the squad couldn't seem to shake, and most Borussen grew tired of watching.
However, it is important for us as sports fans not to take the sweet for granted, even if there is a taste-altering amount of sour to get worked up about. Which brings me to our #4, Nico Schlotterbeck, a beacon of passion, authenticity, and hope in the Westfalenstadion.
Of course, his homestretch of the 2024/25 campaign was unfortunately cut short by a devastating meniscus injury, but I have zero doubt that “Schlotti” will pick up right where he left off once he makes a full recovery sometime this year.
Nico Schlotterbeck is the present and future of Borussia Dortmund
It was a maturing season for Schlotterbeck, not just as a player but as a leader. He was one of the few individuals who brought the same commitment and intensity to every game, even when faced with adversity and ridicule early in the season under Nuri Sahin. Did he make mistakes? Absolutely, with club and country. For example, he was sent off in both the home and away fixtures against Werder Bremen, which is a great way to let not only yourself, but also your teammates down in an instant.
Regardless, Schlotterbeck never shied away from more responsibility and tried everything imaginable to somehow initiate a positive turnaround for the team. You can't teach those sorts of intangibles, and if there is one thing BVB fans can detect with their eyes closed, it's grit.
Despite being born and raised nowhere near Dortmund (Baden-Württemberg, south of Germany), Schlotti has always come across as “one of us.”
Furthermore, it was the second half of the season, under Nico Kovac, when Schlotterbeck really started to catch his stride. As a left-footed defender playing on the left, he was a pivotal part of our buildup play and was unthinkable to replace, especially considering the largely unreliable shifts we were getting from Waldemar Anton and Niklas Süle.
Defenders of his calibre are mind-numbingly difficult to acquire in today's market, and Sebastian Kehl most definitely recognises the undisputed value in having someone like that under contract long-term. Schlotterbeck is currently signed on until 2027, and an extension seems to be the goal of both parties. A void in leadership was left behind with the departures of Marco Reus and Mats Hummels, and to me, the only player fit to fill those shoes as of right now is Nico.
His entry passes, fearless tackles, and timely drives into the opposition's half give us everything we need from a modern, ball-playing center-half, and at 25 years of age, I truly believe we are witnessing
the first steps of a future club legend. The runway is certainly wide open...
Schlotterbeck recently even uncovered an attribute of his that had been criminally underutilized previously: taking corners.
Entering his 4th year with the club, “Schlotterbeckham” continues to evolve, and his
appointment as club captain is only a matter of time after the season he's had!