From the Champions League to the ninth division in goal! Süle's wild new life
Niklas Süle's retirement adventure has taken a glorious turn: the former Bayern and Dortmund defender is now playing in goal in Germany's ninth division.
Details: The Champions League winner, who retired from professional football in May at just 30 after escaping a third ACL injury, has kept goal in each of SV Tiefenbach's last two matches. He also plays outfield for the Kreisliga club, where he turned out for pure fun alongside his best friends, and even scored a header on his debut in front of around 500 spectators.
It is one of the most heartwarming football stories of the year. A man who won everything with Bayern and played a World Cup with Germany chose the mud and the laughter of amateur football over a quiet retirement. Freed from the weight of injuries and elite pressure, the two metre giant now pulls on the gloves for his village club, and the internet has fallen in love with every frame of it.
It's worth noting that stories like Süle's remind everyone why people fall for this game in the first place: not the contracts, but the joy. Somewhere in Tiefenbach this weekend, a Champions League winner will be shouting at his defence from between the posts.
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Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
