Having announced his retirement from the professional game at the end of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season, former Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Germany defender Niklas Süle has now joined amateur club SV Tiefenbach.
Süle, still only 30, announced his decision to hang up his boots in May, having suffered a number of serious injury setbacks throughout his career.
The centre-back, who won five Bundesliga titles and the UEFA Champions League, among other honours, during a five-year spell at Bayern between 2017 and 2022, joined Dortmund four years ago and scored three goals in 110 competitive appearances for the club.
He was restricted to just 11 league outings last season before bringing the curtain down on his career.
Or so it seemed.
Niklas Süle may have retired earlier than he would have liked, but he still managed a great deal of success in that time. – IMAGO/Frank Hoermann / SVEN SIMON
It has now been confirmed that he will lace his boots for amateur side SV Tiefenbach, located approximately 125 kilometres (78 miles) south of Frankfurt am Main.
The club play in Germany’s Kriesliga, a district league roughly equivalent to the 11th tier in the country’s football pyramid.
“I’m really looking forward to finally experiencing football from a completely different perspective – where it’s solely about the sport itself and not about business or money,” Süle said in a statement on the official Tiefenbach website.
Watch: The best of Niklas Süle
The best of Niklas Süle
“What’s more, two of my best friends play for SV Tiefenbach, one of whom is even a coach here. After 13 years as a professional footballer, it’s an absolute treat for me to be able to stand on the pitch with my buddies and fully enjoy this wonderful sport once again.
“And last but not least, my home golf club, where I love spending a lot of time, is also located in Tiefenbach.”
