Mats Hummels will hang on for another year at Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund. The 2014 World Cup winner reached an agreement with the club to extend his expiring contract for another season until 30 June 2024 shortly before the decision in the Bundesliga title race.
"I didn't take the decision lightly. It was a long balancing process," said the 34-year-old, according to a BVB statement on Wednesday: "Now, at the end of the season, I can say: I'm still really up for another year." However, the focus is first on the last step towards the championship on Saturday (15.30 CET in the F.A.Z. live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky) against FSV Mainz 05.
"We still have 90 intense minutes ahead of us. After that, we hope to be able to celebrate something big together," Hummels stressed. With a three-year break that he spent at Bayern Munich from 2016 to 2019, he has been playing for Borussia Dortmund since 2007. "He identifies a lot with our club. BVB and Mats simply belong together," said managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke.
With Hummels, BVB will retain another veteran. A month ago, the club also extended the contract of 33-year-old Marco Reus by one year until 30 June 2024. While Reus is currently no longer a regular player, Hummels has been part of the starting eleven in recent games, in which BVB climbed to first place in the title race.
The 34-year-old has made 29 Bundesliga appearances this season and has also made four appearances in the DFB-Pokal and Champions League. "He's a very, very important player for this team because he gives them a lot in terms of hierarchy and leadership," said BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl.
Should Hummels win the championship trophy on Saturday, he would join an elite circle with three BVB titles: so far, only Helmut Bracht, Willi Burgsmüller (both 1956, 1957, 1963), Lars Ricken, Stefan Reuter (both 1995, 1996, 2002) and Kehl (2002, 2011, 2012) have achieved the championship treble.