Niklas Süle had to deal with some pretty unpleasant headlines back in May when he was spotted looking overweight before Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League final against Real Madrid.
Süle, who was meant to partner Nico Schlotterbeck in defence in the 2023/24 season, was quickly replaced by Mats Hummels, and was used sparingly throughout the campaign.
A free transfer from Bayern Munich in 2022, the centre-back was seen as quite the coup, but his fitness caused plenty of headlines.
In May, Sky Germany reported that Dortmund were unhappy with Süle’s ‘professionalism and attitude’ and claimed that they were keen to part ways with him during the summer window after just two seasons.
Formerly a Germany regular, Süle was dropped for Euro 2024 in June, and more tricky reports then emerged.
BILD claimed that Dortmund have weight limits for their players, and the 29-year-old’s figure of 110kilos was 10kilos above his permitted allowance.
The outlet also detailed that if he wasn’t under 100kilos by their training camp on July 10, he would face sanctions from the club.
With the story now big news, his first-ever coach, Markus Babbel, put even more pressure on Süle in an interview with Ran.
The former Hoffenheim coach went in hard, saying: “I find it almost outrageous to earn so much money and then say: ‘I don’t care how I walk around. I don’t care what the club thinks of me’.
“If he thinks everything he’s doing is fine, then say to Borussia Dortmund: ‘Hey guys, I’m sorry. I’ve had enough. I’ve made my career, I now want to live. Don’t be mad at me, but that’s it for me.’”
Babbel went on to recall his first meetings with the player, detailing that he finds it hard to live without junk food, but he should sacrifice that due to the financial rewards on offer as a footballer.
He added: “They had asked me to have a conversation with a highly talented player. He was there with his family. He ate everything from pizza to burgers to schnitzel and fries all week.”
Those comments came just days before Dortmund’s July 10 training camp, and miraculously they proved to be unnecessary as Süle was back looking incredibly trim.
Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said at the time: “I thought: My God, we have a new player!
“It’s admirable how he managed that. I prefer it a thousand times more when someone admits a mistake and draws the appropriate conclusions, then that’s cool. He is a huge player in central defence.”
Just over a month later, Süle would then open up on his summer and the struggles he’d been through.
“That was probably the most intense summer of my life. But it was also urgently needed after a year that I personally couldn’t be satisfied with at all, in which I fell far short of my expectations,” he told Sport1.
“Mentally, I just couldn’t manage to do the right things. I couldn’t motivate myself anymore. I wanted to, but I couldn’t. Luckily, I was doing really well in my private life. Everything was and is fine. I had lots of important conversations and got help.
“I take the blame entirely on myself. I didn’t deserve to be nominated for the European Championship by Julian Nagelsmann. The decision is completely understandable, and there is nothing wrong with it.
“I suffered with the boys, was excited for them while I was in the weight room, and was tormenting myself. Of course, you then think, ‘Sh*t, man, you were always part of the team for the last few years. And now they can play football, and you practically live in the weight room.”
Süle then revealed how he was able to fight back and the process he underwent:
“A very important and good conversation. Very appreciative and confidential. None of the content was leaked out. Everyone gave their view of things and was as honest as possible.
“There couldn’t have been a much better conversation: always with respect, no one minced their words, but at the same time we listened very carefully to each other.
“That’s why I took it all to heart and worked on it. In the end, it was up to me what I did with it. It took me a long time to understand that I wasn’t doing this for anyone else, but just for myself.”
Speaking specifically on how he regained his fitness, he added: “I put together a team with my advisor and my family with people who are absolutely top in their field. We checked exactly who I needed around me. Without these three or four people, my inner circle, I probably wouldn’t have made it.
“I’ve been working with a mental coach for a long time who is fantastic. His input was worth its weight in gold. But the chefs who have accompanied me over the last few weeks are also top-class. I went into this summer break with the aim of creating something like a Niklas Süle 2.0.
“Now I’m in a mental state that I haven’t been in for a long time. I’m in a mental and physical state where I can really attack again. It was very hard. Not a single day felt like a holiday, but when I see how I’m doing now, it makes me happy and proud.
“Football is so much in your head, you need enormous mental strength. It may have taken me a while to realise this, but now I’m glad I took this path. I’m very happy with the way things are right now.”
For the 2024/25 season, Sule’s turnaround has so far been impressive. The defender has even edged new signing Waldemar Anton out of Nuri Sahin’s first choice XI, which could be a positive development for his chances of returning to the Germany squad.
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