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Nico Schlotterbeck

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Nico Schlotterbeck
Schlotterbeck in 2023
Personal information
Full name Nico Cédric Schlotterbeck[1]
Date of birth (1999-12-01) 1 December 1999 (age 26)[1]
Place of birth Waiblingen, Germany
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Position Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Borussia Dortmund
Number 4
Youth career
–2007 SG Weinstadt
2007–2014 Stuttgarter Kickers
2014–2015 VfR Aalen
2015–2017 Karlsruher SC
2017–2018 SC Freiburg
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2020 SC Freiburg II 25 (2)
2019–2022 SC Freiburg 49 (4)
2020–2021 → Union Berlin (loan) 16 (1)
2022– Borussia Dortmund 112 (11)
International career‡
2017 Germany U18 1 (0)
2017–2018 Germany U19 2 (0)
2018 Germany U20 3 (0)
2019–2021 Germany U21 13 (3)
2022– Germany 29 (1)
Medal record
Representing  Germany
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Winner2021 Hungary–Slovenia
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18 May 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:06, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

Nico Cédric Schlotterbeck (German pronunciation: [ˈniːko ˈʃlɔtɐˌbɛk]; born 1 December 1999) is a German professional footballer who plays primarily as a centre-back for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Germany national team. He is known for his build-up play (sharp vertical flat passes), aerial ability, speed, strength and aggressive tackling.[2][3][4]

Club career

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Early career

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Schlotterbeck began his club career together with his older brother Keven in his home district Rems-Murr at SG Weinstadt.[5] Both his father and uncle Niels Schlotterbeck used to play football themselves, although the former had to end his career early at the age of 19 due to illness.[6] During trial training sessions, the brothers Nico and Keven, who grew up in the district Beutelsbach in Weinstadt, were accepted into the academy of Stuttgart Kickers. Their friend Antonios Papadopoulos, also born in 1999, was accepted along with them.[6] Papadopoulos and Schlotterbeck played together in Stuttgart until the Under-15s and also faced teams such as Ajax Amsterdam and Juventus FC in junior tournaments.[6][7] After a year at VfR Aalen, which uncle Niels Schlotterbeck described as a ‘step backwards’,[7] things started looking up again for the youngster in 2015 when he was accepted into the Under-17s team of Karlsruher SC. Under the coach Lukas Kwasniok Schlotterbeck played as centre-back in that team and was together with Tim Kircher for example part of the defense unit which would later go on to play professionally at the KSC.[8] As part of the Under-17s Schlotterbeck finished in the upper half of the league standings and scored two goals. Due to his rough playing style he was at risk for being suspended for too many yellow cards a second time after already receiving a first suspension during that season. At only 16 years old he was then called up into the Under-19 squad of the Karlsruher SC where he started, like in the previous Under-17s, as a regular. His first season in the Under-19 team was simultaneously his last at Karlsruhe. During that year he sometimes played midfield but overall he remained a steady part of the teams defense. Although playing as centre-back he still managed to score 7 goals, three of which were headers and provide one assist.

SC Freiburg

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Professional debut

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Together with his brother Keven, Schlotterbeck joined the Bundesliga side coached by Christian Streich in the summer of 2018. Both took part in the pre-season training and continued to train regularly with the first team afterwards.[9] Schlotterbeck debuted for SC Freiburg on 9 March 2019, coming on as a half-time substitute for Philipp Lienhart in the 2–1 home win against Hertha BSC.[10] The two brothers started as central defenders on matchday 29 in a 2–1 away defeat in Bremen, playing the full match alongside Dominique Heintz. They also played together frequently in the Regionalliga Südwest, where Nico scored two goals. While Keven spent the 2019−20 season on loan at newly promoted Union Berlin, Streich focused on further integrating Nico into the first-team squad. Nico played the full 90 minutes in each of the first three league matches. In the 3–0 victory over Mainz 05, he was rated by kicker as Freiburg’s second-best player in terms of average match ratings, behind goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow and alongside Luca Waldschmidt and Lucas Höler.[11] After a bad performance in Freiburg’s 2–1 loss against 1.FC Köln on matchday 3 he was relegated to being a substitute in the following games.[11] For the remainder of the season, he only started one more game and was substituted on a few times, while also playing for the second team in the fourth division. Nevertheless, he received a call-up for Germany’s under-21’s.

In his final match for Freiburg in 2022, the club lost the DFB-Pokal Final on penalties but Schlotterbeck was awarded the man of the match.[12]

Loan to Union Berlin

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With his brother Keven returning from loan at Union Berlin, they were in need of a new centre-back. They agreed a deal with Freiburg for a loan of Nico Schlotterbeck for the 2020–2021 season.[13] He lived in Köpenick, in close proximity to his new club’s environment and started three of first four games of the season before being sidelined by a thigh injury until the second half of the season. Upon his return he proved to be a reliable centre-back, pushing Florian Hübner to the bench. On matchday 22, he triumphed after a 1–0 win over his main club SC Freiburg where his brother Keven still played. Nico had previously missed the first leg due to an injury. At the end of the season, Union Berlin ranked fourth in fewest goals conceded (champions FC Bayern München were fifth). As seventh in the table they earned the right to participate in the qualifiers for the newly introduced UEFA Europa Conference League, thanks to the victory of runners-up Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal. Schlotterbeck was voted into the German soccer rankings for the first time at the end of the season, where he finished 18th in the national class. That placed him ahead of Bielefeld's Amos Pieper and behind Hertha BSC's Niklas Stark.[14]

Borussia Dortmund

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On 2 May 2022, Borussia Dortmund announced the signing of Schlotterbeck on a five-year deal, starting from the 2022–23 season.[15] He joined for a reported €25 million transfer fee.[16] He would almost win the league with Dortmund in his first season, but merely became runners-up due to goal difference. In the 2023–24 season, he achieved the highest tackling success rate in the Bundesliga at 71%, in addition to winning possession over 240 times, he also played a crucial role in his club's qualification to the Champions League final alongside fellow centre-back Mats Hummels.[17]

In the 2024–25 season, he earned a place in the Bundesliga Team of the Season, even though he suffered an injury toward the end of the campaign, which also caused him to miss the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.[18] On 10 April 2026, he extended his contract with the club until 2031.[19]

International career

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Schlotterbeck got his debut call-up to the Germany national team under coach Hansi Flick for FIFA World Cup qualification in September 2021.[20] He made his debut against Israel in a friendly on 27 March 2022.[21] Later that year, on 10 November, he was named in the 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[22]

Schlotterbeck was named in Germany's squad for UEFA Euro 2024.[23]

On 21 May 2026, he was selected in Germany's 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[24] On 14 June 2026, he scored his first international goal in Germany's opening game of the tournament, a 7–1 win over Curaçao, with a header in the 38th minute.[25] He sustained an ankle injury during the second group match against Ivory Coast, ruling him out for the remainder of the tournament.[26]

Personal life

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Schlotterbeck is the nephew of former professional footballer Niels Schlotterbeck, who played for Freiburg.[27] His older brother, Keven, is a professional footballer who plays for Bavarian side FC Augsburg.[28] Schlotterbeck's cousin, Sandrine, appeared on the seventh series of the German edition of Love Island in 2022.[29]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 16 May 2026[30][2]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League DFB-Pokal Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
SC Freiburg II 2018–19 Regionalliga Südwest 242——242
2019–20 Regionalliga Südwest 10——10
Total 252——252
SC Freiburg 2018–19 Bundesliga 4000—40
2019–20 Bundesliga 13010—140
2021–22 Bundesliga 32460—384
Total 49470—564
Union Berlin (loan) 2020–21 Bundesliga 16111—172
Borussia Dortmund 2022–23 Bundesliga 284308[a]0394
2023–24 Bundesliga 3323012[a]0482
2024–25 Bundesliga 2302012[a]0370
2025–26 Bundesliga 285207[a]0375
Total 1121110039016111
Career total 2021818139025919
  1. 1 2 3 4 Appearances in UEFA Champions League

International

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As of match played 20 June 2026[30]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Germany 202280
202330
202470
202550
202661
Total291
Germany score listed first, score column indicates score after each Schlotterbeck goal.[30]
List of international goals scored by Nico Schlotterbeck
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
114 June 2026NRG Stadium, Houston, United States28 Curaçao2–17–12026 FIFA World Cup

Honours

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SC Freiburg

Borussia Dortmund

Germany U21

Individual

References

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  1. 1 2 3 "FIFA World Cup 2026: Squad List" (PDF). FIFA. 2 June 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Nico Schlotterbeck". WorldFootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. ↑ ""Mein Bruder hat mir einiges berichtet": Union holt Nico Schlotterbeck". kicker (in German). 31 July 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  4. ↑ "(k+) Hierarchie, Spielaufbau, Standards: Was Schlotterbecks WM-Aus bedeutet ("Hierarchy, build-up play, set pieces: What Schlotterbeck's World Cup absence means")". Kicker (magazine) (in German). Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  5. ↑ "Nico Schlotterbeck: Freiburgs Verteidiger und der Traum vom "besten Verein"". swr.de (in German). 22 December 2021. Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 "Nico Schlotterbeck: Wie alles begann". bvb.de (in German). Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  7. 1 2 Michael Richmann (30 October 2021). "Nico Schlotterbeck - Durchstarter mit langem Anlauf". swr.de (in German). Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  8. ↑ "Schlotterbeck: Gemerkt, dass Stürmer Angst vor mir haben" [Schlotterbeck: Realized that strikers were afraid of me]. sueddeutsche.de. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  9. ↑ "Keven und Nico Schlotterbeck verlängern | SC Freiburg". www.scfreiburg.com (in German). 8 June 2019. Archived from the original on 8 June 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  10. ↑ "Herthas Unglücksrabe heißt Ibisevic" [Hertha's misfortune is called Ibišević]. Kicker (in German). kicker-sportmagazin. 9 March 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  11. 1 2 Spielereinsätze 2019/20, kicker.de, accessed on 10 January 2026
  12. ↑ GmbH, Perform Media Deutschland (22 May 2022). "SC Freiburg – RB Leipzig, Stimmen zum DFB-Pokalfinale: Man darf den alten Trainer nicht schlecht machen". www.spox.com (in German). Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  13. ↑ "Union leiht Nico Schlotterbeck". 31 July 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  14. ↑ "Summer 2021 rankings: Center backs". kicker.de. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  15. ↑ "BVB signs Nico Schlottbeck". Borussia Dortmund. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  16. ↑ Johnson, Paul (3 May 2022). "Borussia Dortmund Sign Nico Schlotterbeck from Freiburg for €25m". SB Nation. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  17. ↑ "Statistik beweist: Tackling-Monster Schlotterbeck wurde in den EM-Kader absolut verdient berufen!" (in German). Tribuna.com. 14 May 2024.
  18. ↑ "Schlotterbeck kündigt Rückzug aus der Öffentlichkeit an: "Für meinen Kopf"" (in German). Kicker. 8 April 2025.
  19. ↑ "Borussia Dortmund extends contract with Nico Schlotterbeck". Borussia Dortmund. 10 April 2026.
  20. ↑ "Bundestrainer Flick beruft drei Neulinge und fünf Rückkehrer". dfb.de. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  21. ↑ "Flick on Schlotterbeck's Germany debut: "Hopefully, it will be a good lesson for him"". Bulinews. 27 March 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  22. ↑ "Flick beruft Moukoko, Füllkrug und Götze in WM-Kader" [Flick names Moukoko, Füllkrug and Götze to World Cup squad] (in German). German Football Association. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  23. ↑ "UEFA Euro 2024: All squads and players full list". Olympics.com. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  24. ↑ "Bundestrainer Nagelsmann gibt WM-Kader bekannt" (in German). German Football Association. 21 May 2026. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
  25. ↑ "Germany 7–1 Curaçao (14 June 2026) FIFA World Cup 2026 ESPN Final Score". www.espn.com. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  26. ↑ Sanghera, Mandeep (22 June 2026). "Germany defender Schlotterbeck out of World Cup". BBC Sport.
  27. ↑ "Keven Schlotterbeck". scfreiburg.com (in German). SC Freiburg. Archived from the original on 24 September 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  28. ↑ Frahm, Daniela (14 March 2019). "SC mit einem Schlotterbeck – oder auch mit zwei" [SC with a Schlotterbeck – or with two]. Kicker (in German). kicker-sportmagazin. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  29. ↑ Möller, Domescu (23 March 2022). ""Love Island"-Kandidatin Sandrine ist gleich mit zwei Ex-Unionern verwandt – raten Sie mal mit wem!". Berliner Kurier (in German). Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  30. 1 2 3 Nico Schlotterbeck at Soccerway
  31. ↑ "DFB-Pokal 2021/22, Finale in Berlin: SC Freiburg 2:4 RB Leipzig: Takt. aufstellung" [DFB-Pokal 2021/22, Final in Berlin: SC Freiburg 2:4 RB Leipzig: Tactical lineup]. kicker (in German). Olympia-Verlag. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  32. ↑ McNulty, Phil (1 June 2024). "Real Madrid 2–0 Borussia Dortmund". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  33. ↑ "Germany beat Portugal for third U21 EURO title". UEFA. Union of European Football Associations. 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  34. ↑ "Under-21 EURO Squad of the Tournament". UEFA. 7 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  35. ↑ "The EA Sports Bundesliga Team of the Season 2021/22 is here!". Bundesliga. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  36. ↑ "The official Bundesliga Team of the Season 2022/23". Bundesliga. 13 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  37. ↑ "The EA FC 25 Bundesliga Team of the Season 2024/25". Bundesliga. 9 May 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  38. ↑ "Check out the EA SPORTS FC 26 Bundesliga Team of the Season!". Bundesliga. 29 April 2026. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
  39. ↑ "Sechs Klubs vertreten: Die kicker-Elf der Saison 2021/22". Kicker (in German). 26 May 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  40. ↑ "Mit fünf Nicht-Münchnern: Die kicker-Elf der Bundesliga-Saison". Kicker (in German). 18 May 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  41. ↑ "Nico Schlotterbeck named Bundesliga Player of the Month for March 2025!". Bundesliga. 18 April 2025. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  42. ↑ "Florian Wirtz ist erneut VDV-Spieler der Saison" (in German). VDV. 28 May 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  43. ↑ "Michael Olise ist VDV-Spieler der Saison" (in German). VDV. 2 June 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
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