Captain Lars Stindl disembarks

The captain is leaving: Lars Stindl will not extend his expiring contract with Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach and will leave the club in the summer after eight years on a free transfer. This was announced by the five-time German champions on Wednesday.

“I’ve thought a lot about it in the past few weeks and have decided to go back to my home country,” the 34-year-old is quoted as saying in the club’s statement. He believes “that the time will soon come for something new in my life”.

Stindl grew up near Karlsruhe and has been associated with the second division club for a few weeks. At KSC, the 2017 Confederation Cup winner went through all youth teams from the age of twelve.

Stindl switched from Hannover 96 to Borussia in the summer of 2015 and scored 80 goals in 264 competitive games. “My time at Borussia was the best of my life and I will never forget that at this club,” said the attacking player.

Sports director Roland Virkus “respects and regrets the decision after trusting and intensive discussions”. At some point there will be melancholy, “but for now we will concentrate on the joint tasks that still lie ahead,” said Virkus.

SID om cp