Borussia Dortmund have a new captain: from now on, Emre Can will lead the team, with Gregor Kobel acting as his deputy. This was announced by BVB head coach Edin Terzic on Wednesday afternoon during a press conference in San Diego, USA.

Chairman of the board Hans-Joachim Watzke, sporting director Sebastian Kehl and head coach Edin Terzic had previously gotten together to make the decision. The team were informed at the team’s “Fairmont Grand Del Mar” hotel on Wednesday afternoon, triggering rapturous applause for the new leading duo.

“It makes me incredibly proud to be captain for such a big club now. I would like to thank everyone involved for this,” says Emre Can about his new role.

“Once again, I would like to express my gratitude to Marco Reus for everything he has done for us as captain. Emre is a born winner and someone who likes to take on responsibility. In addition to his achievements on the pitch, Emre also brings a lot of experience. But what is also very important to me is that we expect everyone to feel responsible for everything,” says Edin Terzic.

Hans-Joachim Watzke was full of praise for Can: “Emre Can has vast national and international experience, and he can now use all of that as captain. In this calendar year, he has made a significant contribution to the fact that our team has stabilised at a high level on the pitch. Emre is the right captain for our team!”

“Over the course of his career, he has gained a massive amount of experience, is the right age to be captain of such a big club and has the appropriate leadership qualities and level of respect in the team,” stresses Sebastian Kehl.

Can has been playing for Borussia Dortmund since January 2020 and last week extended his contract until 30 June 2026. The midfielder has played in 121 competitive games for BVB to date, scoring 12 goals. Gregor Kobel has been under contract with Borussia Dortmund since July 2021. The goalkeeper has played 75 games for BVB across all competitions.

Niklas Süle becomes the deputy vice-captain and is a member of the team council, alongside Marco Reus, Sebastien Haller and Julian Brandt.

Can succeeds Marco Reus, who stepped down as captain this summer.

Borussia Dortmund are currently on a tour through the United States of America in the middle of the team’s pre-season preparations.