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Dear BVB,

Dear BVB fans,

Now the time has come.

Over 13 years of black and yellow are coming to an end for me.

Dortmund was my home for 13 years.

It is Thursday, June 13th, and I am sitting on the couch in the evening as I try to write these lines.

EVOr

It is really hard for me.

The way it was said makes me very sad, because this impersonal farewell does not do justice to the time we spent together.

But that is unfortunately how it is sometimes in this business, and the day will come when we can make up for it together in front of the yellow wall. I chose this farewell to some extent myself, because I deliberately did not want to make an early decision about my future.

That is why the last few months have been emotionally challenging for me, because it was always clear that they could be my last in black and yellow.

Many of you have probably noticed how much I enjoyed everything about the last home games and the Champions League final. After the game, sitting alone at the post in the most beautiful temple in the world, soaking up the atmosphere, and standing in front of the South when everyone was singing my name.

Pure goosebumps, even if I think about it again. It was and is a great honor and I will never forget it. Please do me a favor and don't believe everything I've read over the last few days. There were a lot of untruths and half-truths.

Just this much: in all these years.

BVB has always been above all else for me, and I always wanted the best for the club on and off the pitch

The influence of a 35-year-old player who doesn't know how his career will continue from the summer onwards has certainly not been as great in the last few months as the media sometimes makes it out to be. What have we experienced together in these years, with the gray league times at the beginning, with the first personal DFB Cup final in 2008.

About the upswing under Jürgen Klopp and the years that were almost like a rush. With so many highlights that I can't even list them. The finals won and lost. The last place at the beginning of 2015, which actually couldn't have happened, and the run back to 7th place at the end of the season.

Two Champions League finals and, most recently, two big missed title dreams.

But I was particularly pleased when I was accepted back to

BVB in 2019 after my transfer, and I hope you noticed: I tried everything and tore myself apart for the black and yellow jersey and success. There is no other place like the south stand.

I was called the "bricklayer of the yellow wall" a few weeks ago.

I'm going to hang that above my BVB trophy cabinet!

I'm incredibly proud of it.

I'll miss everything about this awesome club.

See you.

HEJA BVB!

BVB

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