Lars Ricken confirms Borussia Dortmund want to extend with Emre Can despite injury
Emre Can’s future at Borussia Dortmund appeared very much in the air after his cruciate ligament injury sustained in Der Klassiker. CEO Lars Ricken has now confirmed the club’s intentions with their captain.
Can, 32, is set for several months on the sidelines after injuring his knee in the Matchday 24 defeat to Bayern Munich, hobbling off before half-time after several attempts to continue.
On Sunday, Dortmund confirmed that the defensive all-rounder had torn his cruciate ligament and would be out for at least the rest of the season, meaning he could well have made his 220th and final appearance in black and yellow, given his current deal expires in the summer.
Watch: How Der Klassiker was experienced across the globe
According to Ricken, who oversees sporting matters at Signal Iduna Park, that will not be the case.
“It’s an extremely tough diagnosis for Emre and the whole club,” the former midfielder said during the week. “He hasn’t just been our team’s undisputed captain under Niko Kovač but also under Nuri Şahin and Edin Terzić. The responsibility he takes in looking out for his teammates is impressive.
“We hold Emre in such high esteem. That’s why we also want to support him in his comeback beyond 30 June [the day his contract expires] and extend his deal.
“When Emre has come through his operation, we’ll sit down with him to discuss that.”
Former Bayern, Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool and Juventus utility man Can joined Dortmund in 2020 and has been captain since succeeding Marco Reus in 2023. The 48-cap Germany international has had an injury-hit season with a persistent adductor issue also keeping him out of last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup in the USA.
Borussia trail Bayern by 11 points at the top of the Bundesliga table with 10 games remaining in 2025/26. They are already out of the UEFA Champions League and DFB Cup.
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