Dortmund's Piszczek to retire after 2020-21 season
Borussia Dortmund defender Lukasz Piszczek has announced he will retire at the end of the 2020-21 season.
The 35-year-old joined Dortmund from Hertha Berlin in 2010 and has gone on to become a key figure at the club.
Predominantly a right-back, Piszczek regularly impressed with his attacking abilities – particularly during his first years at the club – and has enjoyed great success at Signal Iduna Park.
He was a part of the team that won back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012 under Jurgen Klopp, while he also helped them to two DFB-Pokal crowns and the Champions League final in 2013.
More recently Piszczek has began to operate as a right-sided centre-back in a back three and featured 29 times in the 2019-20 Bundesliga campaign, the most he has managed in a solitary season since 2013.
A message from Lukasz Piszczek: pic.twitter.com/wzm2FMIZpW
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) August 15, 2020
But 2020-21 will be his last season, while he has also decided to relinquish his position as vice-captain.
In a statement posted to Dortmund's social media channels, he said: "The 2020-21 season will be my last as a professional footballer.
"I want to enjoy this season as consciously as possible. In the past few years I have always loved taking on responsibility together with some of my colleagues and leading the team, in the council but also as vice-captain.
"Now I would like to actively help shape the transition and help others to get involved. For this reason, I have decided to give up the position of vice-captain and also my place on the team council.
"But I will continue to help because I know that my opinion is valued in the dressing room. I will continue to express them in the future and be available to the guys with my advice on any questions they ask me."