On Sunday evening, Mats Hummels was able to play one last time in front of a sold-out crowd in Dortmund before hanging up his soccer cleats for good. The 36-year-old was celebrated by the crowd, even though the veteran didn’t have the best of luck in the friendly against Juventus Turin.
“It was a perfect day,” said Mats Hummels, before adding a slight caveat: “Except for the result.” BVB lost 2-1 to Italian top club Juventus Turin, but for the 36-year-old, the defeat on Sunday afternoon was secondary. In Dortmund’s dress rehearsal before the start of the competitive season, Hummels bid farewell to professional football – and did so in a setting worthy of the 78-time German international.
“It was very different today, really very important and beautiful for me,” said Hummels, whose departure from BVB last year was not without controversy. “Being able to say goodbye like this was a completely different feeling. A big thank you to everyone at BVB who made this possible for me today, because it was exactly the farewell I dreamed of. To play a few minutes in a competitive game once again. It was perfect.”
As soon as Hummels stepped onto the pitch, the more than 80,000 spectators in the sold-out Signal Iduna Park rose to their feet for a standing ovation, and when he was substituted after 19 minutes, the noise grew even louder. “It’s going to hurt for a few days now – in a good way – not to have that anymore.”
In the days leading up to the game, Hummels was “extremely nervous, like before a big game.” That was also because, since officially ending his career after last season, he “didn’t know where I stood.” He had hardly touched the ball in recent weeks, instead focusing on other sports and, of course, all those “who had been neglected over the past 18 years.” Under the circumstances, Hummels was satisfied with his performance. “The only thing I’ve noticed is that I haven’t done a single long sprint since I stopped. It really hit my thighs when I passed 19 km/h,” he admitted with a laugh. “That’s when I realized there’s a lot of work to be done.”
He believes that BVB, for whom he played in over 500 competitive games, is currently on the right track. “I hope it continues as it has in the last eight games,” he said, praising Borussia, which is developing in the right direction under Niko Kovac. “The chemistry between the team and the coaching staff seems to be right. First place seems difficult, but behind them, the way is clear to regain second place.”
As a spectator, he will continue to follow Dortmund closely and also plans to visit the stadium from time to time. “There’ll be an incognito visit to the south stand, 100 percent,” said Hummels, who now wants to sit back and spend time with his son and family. But he can’t do without sport entirely: “I have an important padel match tomorrow, so I have to be fit!”
