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| Borussia Dortmund defender, Niklas Sule |
As Borussia Dortmund prepare to take on Real Madrid in the highly anticipated Champions League final on June 1, the spotlight has turned to the fitness of defender, Niklas Sule.
A recent photo of the German international has raised concerns about his physical condition, with some questioning if he is in the right shape to perform at the highest level.
Sule, known for his impressive performances in the past, has struggled for playing time this season, with Mats Hummels emerging as a key figure in Edin Terzic’s backline.
Source: Twitter
The 28-year-old has played significantly fewer minutes compared to his compatriot, Nico Schlotterbeck, leading to speculation about his fitness and discipline.
Former coaches have not shied away from criticising Sule’s weight and eating habits, with German manager, Markus Babbel, claiming the defender indulged in an unhealthy diet of ‘six pizzas and eight kebabs’ per week, as per Goal.
Those comments have echoed the concerns of other managers, including Markus Gisdol, who once bluntly stated that a person could not play football when they weighed more than 100 kilograms.
Sule himself has acknowledged the validity of these criticisms, admitting that he was ‘overdoing it on junk food’ during his time at Bayern Munich. According to FoxSports, this even led to him being occasionally overlooked for the German national team, with analysts suggesting his weight was the underlying factor.
With the Champions League final just around the corner, Borussia Dortmund and their fans hope that Sule can overcome his fitness concerns and deliver a standout performance on the biggest stage against record champions, Real Madrid.
Sports Brief also analysed Real Madrid’s head-to-heads versus Dortmund, having squared off 14 times in the Champions League.
The reigning La Liga champions have won six of their past 14 games against the Black and Yellows, drawn five, and lost three matches.
Additionally, Real Madrid has scored 24 goals