Niklas Sule’s shape weeks before the upcoming Champions League final has left fans shocked.
This season, the Champions League final will be contested between German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund and Spanish giants Real Madrid.
The showpiece final so will take place at Wembley Stadium in London, England on June 1.
With the match just under three weeks away, pictures of Dortmund defender Sule during training sessions have gone viral on social media.
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The defender appears to look out of shape as he trained with his teammates ahead of their first Champions League final since 2013.
Previously, former Germany player Markus Babbel was critical of Sule.
He told Sport1: “Sule is good, but just not very good. I think he has problems with having the discipline to do everything properly. When you carry three or four kilos more with you, you notice it at this level.
“There was also the topic of eating pizza six times a week and kebab eight times. That doesn't work.”
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The former Liverpool and Bayern Munich defender continued: “That doesn't mean he shouldn't do it at all. Sometimes you need a treat, that's all OK. But you can't do that every day.”
Since joining the club in 2022, Sule has made a grand total of 72 appearances. Prior to Dortmund, the defender played for the likes of Bayern and Hoffenheim.
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Dortmund are in their first Champions League final since 2013, when they were beaten by arch-rivals Bayern at Wembley.
Last weekend, Dortmund were beaten 3-0 by Mainz, speaking after the match, manager Edin Terzic said: “We were the team that were always late to the ball and always losing out in the tackles.
“That's why it was a deserved defeat. Mainz fought for every inch, didn't give us any peace in possession, whereas we did.”
He added: “We demonstrated that we could play really good and mature football, but we didn't prove it regardless of the opponent, competition, weekday and stadium and this is what makes me angry...
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“There's so much inside of us and we can't get it onto the pitch every time.”
Topics: Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid, Champions League, Football, Fan Reactions
Marcus Chan