Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck extended his contract to 2031, but fans booed him during the 0:1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen. Supporters apparently disapprove of exit clauses in the new deal. Teammate Waldemar Anton called the behavior harmful to the team.
The contract extension for Nico Schlotterbeck was announced before Borussia Dortmund's match against Bayer Leverkusen on April 11, 2026, in the sold-out Signal Iduna Park with 81,365 spectators. The 26-year-old national team player, standing in as captain for the injured Emre Can, faced boos from parts of the Südtribüne during the lineup announcement and ball contacts.
"That harms us as a team, everyone on the stands needs to know that," said teammate Waldemar Anton. "Such behavior is outrageous." Schlotterbeck stated: "I'm thrilled to have extended my contract with BVB. [...] My goal is to win titles with Borussia Dortmund."
Multiple media report exit clauses in the contract, possibly from summer 2026. Former national team player Sami Khedira said on DAZN: "If you extend now and leave three months later, [...] no one likes that." Dietmar Hamann on Sky remarked: "It's obvious he wants to go elsewhere."
Borussia Dortmund lost the game via Robert Andrich's 42nd-minute goal following a mix-up between Ramy Bensebaini and Fabio Silva. Coach Kovac dodged questions on the clause: "I don't even know my own contract properly."
