Nico Schulz: The new start of a stigmatized person

Nico Schulz sits at a desk in the blue and yellow striped jersey of Ankaragücü and holds a ballpoint pen in his right hand, next to him Vice President Levent Onuk laughs into the camera.

The usual contract signing procedure is also being followed by the Turkish second division club, which concluded negotiations with the former BVB professional this Thursday morning.

For Schulz, this marks the end of the agonizingly long search for a new club after Borussia Dortmund terminated his contract in the summer of 2023.

For over a year, the 31-year-old had hoped to be able to get going again, but his past never left him alone. In terms of sport, things quickly went downhill for the former national player when he actually thought he was at his peak in the summer of 2019.

BVB recently paid over 25 million euros for the left-back to lure him from Hoffenheim to Dortmund. Schulz had previously played what was probably his best season in the Kraichgau and blossomed into a regular player on the left side of defense.

With one goal and six assists, Schulz also contributed a lot in the offensive to TSG finishing the season in 9th place.

Around this time, the former Hertha player was also part of the national team, with his last-minute goal in the 3-2 win in Amsterdam against the Netherlands certainly representing the climax of this development.

In his mid-20s, the world of football seemed to be open to him at that time and the move to a heavyweight like BVB felt like the right step on his career ladder.

But instead of finally taking off, it was precisely in these days that the unbridled decline began, which ultimately made Schulz a stigmatized professional.

Dortmund’s disastrous record in four years contributed significantly to this: Schulz made 30 Bundesliga appearances, scoring one goal and providing three assists.

“We are all aware that things have not developed as hoped for Borussia Dortmund and Nico Schulz in recent years,” said sporting director Sebastian Kehl after an agreement to terminate the contract was reached. A severance payment of 2.5 million euros was intended to make the departing professional’s signature more attractive.

It was the end of an expensive misunderstanding that also made the fans breathe a sigh of relief. Schulz had not only earned a bad reputation on the field, but had also made headlines off it.

In 2022, an ex-girlfriend accused him of grievous bodily harm and domestic violence while she was pregnant with their child.

The case was dropped last February, but Schulz was still required to donate 150,000 euros to charitable organizations. In addition, Schulz had paid his ex-partner an undisclosed amount in damages prior to the trial.

The private turbulence also had a negative impact on his sporting career. In March 2024, he seemed to have found what he was looking for in a new club.

The English second division club Sheffield Wednesday was very interested in Schulz and invited him to a trial training session. When everything pointed to a deal and the traditional club announced its intention, fans took to the barricades because of the allegations of violence.

“Welcoming anyone accused of violence against a woman normalises and legitimises this behaviour,” the Sheffield Wednesday Women’s Supporters Group wrote in an open letter. That was enough for the club to backtrack.

Most recently, supporters of the regional league team SV Babelsberg mobilized because Schulz kept himself fit there while looking for a new club.

Now the former international player is attempting a fresh start in the second Turkish league. It remains to be seen whether he can leave his past behind him there.