Article by Dragoș Petrescu – Published on Sunday, 04 January 2026, 16:55 / Updated on Sunday, 04 January 2026 16:57
Emre Can (31 years old), the captain Borussia Dortmundis in the final year of his contract, and his lackluster performances over the past year and a half have seen the German fingered by the team's fans. However, it looks like his stay at Signal Iduna Park will be extended.
The complete schedule of the 16th round of the Bundesliga
Emre Can signed with Borussia Dortmund in 2020, and starting in 2023, he took over the captain's armband of the Westphalian team, this after Marco Reus decided to take a step back.
Initially, things went well for the Black and Yellows with the German as their leader, considering that in his first season in the role, Can came extremely close to lifting the Champions League trophy with Borussia. However, in the end, Real Madrid were the winners at Wembley in the 2024 grand final, 2-0.
That moment also represented the beginning of the oscillating form of the German footballer, who until then had been a real pillar in front of the defense.
Borussia Dortmund and Emre Can have started negotiations for the new contract!
Over the last year and a half, Can has had many games where he has made serious errors that have cost Borussia important points in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
Although he is the captain of the team, the club's fans at Signal Iduna Park did not hesitate to charge him every time he made a mistake, which frustrated the footballer, but equally, he is aware that after the coach, he is the first person to be held accountable when things go wrong, whether it is his fault or not.
Later, the German suffered a serious injury, which kept him off the pitch for a good period of time and which also took him out of the “Die Mannschaft” gear.
At the beginning of November, however, Can returned to the field and slowly got back into his rhythm, and now, the media in Germany are wondering what his future plans are, especially as his deal with Dortmund is set to expire at the end of the current season.
Emre Can scored 21 goals and 12 assists in 212 appearances in all competitions for Borussia Dortmund // PHOTO: Getty Images
The answer was given by the 31-year-old footballer himself. He stated that his desire is to continue at Signal Iduna Park and moreover, talks on the new deal have already started.
I am very happy here. I also had difficult moments, it's true, but the club was always with me and my family.
That is precisely why, as I see things now, I think I will continue to play football here in Dortmund for BVB next year as well. New contract talks are already underway so…I don't see what could go wrong (no – laughs)
– Emre Can, for SPORT BILD
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Niko Kovac's side are currently second in the Bundesliga, 9 lengths behind leaders Bayern after the first 15 legs.
It is hard to believe, however, that the “yellow and black” will be able to fight with the Bavarians for the title, something even the Croatian coach of Borussia stated at the beginning of the season, who stated that the “easiest” trophy that could be won in the current campaign would be the German Cup.
However, Dortmund fell short of that goal, being knocked out of the competition by Bayer Leverkusen 0-1 in the Round of 16.
Therefore, the formation at Signal Iduna Park is only engaged in the championship, where they hope to finish at least in the TOP 4, respectively in the Champions League, where they are still fighting with real chances of a ranking among the top eight teams in the unique group of the first phase of the competition.
Bundesliga standings:
