Mats Hummels celebrated successes with BVB. Now he’s a TV analyst for the match against Villarreal. He also talks about Nico Schlotterbeck in Dortmund.

More than three months have passed since Mats Hummels’ last appearance at Dortmund’s stadium. In August, he took center stage at a soccer match. Borussia Dortmund had organized a farewell match for the 2014 World Cup champion. Hummels and BVB lost the match against Juventus Turin 1–2.

Now Hummels has returned to Dortmund. Since the start of this season, the former defender has been working as an analyst for Amazon Prime. Ahead of his former club’s Champions League match against Villarreal CF, he stood on the sidelines with a microphone. It was his first appearance at Westfalenstadion.

There, he also spoke about his former teammate Nico Schlotterbeck, with whom he formed the central defensive pairing from 2022 to 2024. The national team player’s contract expires in the summer of 2027, and there is speculation about his future.

“It reminds me of my own decision,” said Mats Hummels. He was also courted in the summer of 2016 and ultimately decided to leave BVB. Hummels transferred to FC Bayern for a transfer fee of around 35 million euros. Three years later, he returned to the Ruhr region.

Hummels on his former teammate: “A world-class center back”

Hummels described Schlotterbeck as a “world-class center back.” The Amazon expert explained that “all doors are open” for the 26-year-old. The 2014 World Cup champion also gave Dortmund fans reason for hope. “But it’s a good package,” said Hummels, “that BVB has to offer.”

Before kickoff, the conversation also turned to Dortmund’s current form. Coach Niko Kovac’s team had rarely been convincing of late. “They lack the imagination to take their performance to the next level,” said Hummels, adding: “It’s a solid team that gets the basics right on the field, but they’re missing those big moments of brilliance.”

Christoph Kramer: No More World-Class Players at BVB

His longtime national team colleague Christoph Kramer previously cited reasons for Dortmund’s unadventurous style. “As a club, you have to cope with having three fewer world-class players,” said the Amazon expert.

Kramer placed pros like Marco Reus and Mats Hummels in this category. Added to that were players like Ousmané Dembélé and Erling Haaland. Such stars are currently missing.