It was an emotional afternoon at Signal Iduna Park as Borussia Dortmund said farewell to three key figures in the club's recent history. Julian Brandt, Niklas Süle, and Salih Özcan played their final home game in Black & Yellow, while the club also bid a heartfelt goodbye to sporting director Sebastian Kehl, whose two-decade association with BVB came to a close.
Sebastian Kehl's journey with Dortmund spanned more than 20 years, first as a commanding midfielder and captain, then as head of player licensing, and finally as sporting director. During his playing days, he won three Bundesliga titles, lifted the DFB-Pokal twice, and reached the Champions League final on two occasions. "Thank you for more than 20 years in Black & Yellow" read the message boards as club president Hans-Joachim Watzke and managing directors Carsten Cramer, Lars Ricken, and Thomas Tress honored him. "He lived and breathed Black & Yellow," said Nobby Dickel, before leading the South Stand in chanting Kehl's name three times. The former captain responded by waving to the fans and forming a heart shape with his hands.
Julian Brandt, who joined Dortmund in 2019 at just 23 years old, has become the longest-serving player in the current squad. The gifted midfielder has worn the BVB jersey 306 times, scoring 57 goals along the way. His trophy cabinet includes the DFB-Pokal and Supercup, plus a Champions League final appearance. "One of the most technically gifted footballers we've had the pleasure of seeing here in recent years," Dickel praised. "His passing, his creativity, his unique style of play – that was often football at its finest here in the world's most beautiful stadium!"
Niklas Süle's farewell carries extra weight, as the center-back announced his retirement from football at the end of the season. Since joining Dortmund in 2022, Süle reached the Champions League final and produced one of the most memorable moments of his BVB career – an acrobatic sliding tackle against Kylian Mbappé in the group stage against Paris Saint-Germain that denied what seemed a certain goal. The match against Frankfurt also marked his 300th Bundesliga appearance, with 110 of those coming in a Dortmund shirt. "A man who, like few others, embodies power, passion and emotion. A bloke with a huge heart," Dickel added.
As the final whistle blew on this chapter, the message was clear: once a Borusse, always a Borusse.