That comes as a surprise, especially now that they have been promoted to the Bundesliga: Ömer Toprak (32), captain of Werder Bremen, no longer wants to be on the pitch for the northern lights.

No more soccer. Central defender Ömer Toprak (32) has rejected a contract extension with Bundesliga promoted Werder Bremen and wants to hang up his football boots, reports “Bild”. The former Turkish national player switched from Borussia Dortmund to Werder Bremen in 2019 for a fee of four million euros.

Short, compact, clear

Difficult decision: Football boss Clemens Fritz (41): “We have been in very close contact with Ömer in the last few days and we know that he made the decision anything but easy. We would have loved to have continued working with him, especially since he has played a very important role both on and off the field over the past three years – despite difficult phases for him at times.”

Time for a new chapter: He experienced a lot during his time at Werder Bremen: “In the three years, pretty much everything was there. Relegation, relegation, promotion, injuries, last-minute goals and an amazing finish after the last home game against Regensburg and the return to the Bundesliga. But for me it is now time to start a new chapter.”