Emre Can

The 30-year-old defensive player has been under contract with Borussia Dortmund since January 2020. As of June 2024 (reference date for all stats), the German international has played 159 games (14 goals, 11 assists) for BVB across all competitions and helped Dortmund on their way to winning the DFB-Pokal in 2021.

He has also lifted the German league and cup in the past, not to mention the Italian Serie A and the Champions League, although he was not actively used in that competition back in 2013, when he was just 19 years old at the time. With Liverpool, however, he was active in both European club competitions in 2016 and 2018. So it's fair to say Emre Can knows how to win titles and reach big finals. In his second season with BVB, he won the DFB-Pokal in May 2021, and in his fifth season, he fought again in the final of Europe's premier club competition at Wembley (a 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid).

The versatile defensive player has been part of the Borussia Dortmund squad since 31 January 2020. He gives his team support, ensures balance and stability in the engine room and sometimes gets dirty when the situation calls for it. "The number six is the heart of the team. I love this role because I want to be there for the team," said the seasoned professional, who brings all the attributes needed for the position: height, aerial prowess, pace, reliability and calm on the ball – and the willingness to defend with unconditional commitment.

Born on 12 January 1994 as the son of Turkish parents in Frankfurt am Main, he played for the Eintracht youth team for three years (2006 to 2009) and then moved to the Bayern Munich U17s. On 12 August 2012, he made his first-team debut in the 2-1 victory in the Supercup against Borussia Dortmund. It took another six months before he played his first Bundesliga match (13 April 2013). In the season in which Bayern won the treble – the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, UEFA Champions League (2012/13) – the youngster was used in both domestic competitions. 

"It was a hard patch – no doubt about it," he said of those early years in the north-west of Frankfurt in an interview with the members' magazine Borussia (April 2020 issue). "You learn to be strong; you learn respect for everything you do; you learn to share; and you learn to go down the right path – or the wrong one. Fortunately, I was able to choose the right one. But I saw how other young people – friends of mine from school – turned to drugs. I was lucky to have the support of my family and friends when I needed it. As for football, I learned that you have to try your hardest and give everything you've got if you want to win. We used to play on an asphalt pitch, and the only thing that mattered to us was winning – we didn't care where people came from. Don't get me wrong, you can learn a lot from losing. But winning feels so much better. I hate losing."

In the 2013/14 season, Can joined Bayer 04 Leverkusen and was signed by Liverpool just one year later, where he played a total of 167 games between 2014 and 2018. "In England, it's all about playing exciting football, with crunching tackles and precise long balls. It's different to Italy, where the focus is placed on tactics. I'm very grateful for the experiences I had at my previous clubs. I matured both as a footballer and as a person. The time spent abroad was cool."

Prior to the 2018/19 season, he moved to Juventus in the Italian Serie A, where he was a regular and played a decisive role in winning the 2019 championship. However, he was only named in the starting XI twice after the change of manager for the 2019/20 season. In January 2020, he decided to move to BVB, where he played as centre-back, full-back, sole number six, dual pivot and box-to-box midfielder. "Versatility is a blessing and curse at the same time," he told the members' magazine "Borussia" (May 2023 issue).

In the summer of 2023, Emre Can extended his contract prematurely for two years until 2026 and took over the captain's armband from Marco Reus. He is considered a complete player, has great personality, takes responsibility and moves the team forward. The "aggressive leader" has seen 38 yellow cards in 149 Bundesliga matches, but has never been sent off in the Bundesliga. In 116 Bundesliga matches for BVB, he has been involved in 20 goals – a very respectable record for a defensive player. His passing quota in 2023/24 was excellent, with 91% of his passes reaching the intended target. His top speed of 35.2 km/h was only surpassed by Karim Adeyemi in the team.

Since the U15s, Emre Can has played for all the German junior national teams and celebrated his debut for the senior national team in the European Championship qualifier against Poland on 4 September 2015 in his home town of Frankfurt. He was a member of the German Confederations Cup winning team in 2017. In the following years, in his own words, he experienced "an on-off relationship" with the DFB selection board: "I know I was often written off. Even when I didn't get the call from Julian in October, I thought I would come back and prove myself to everyone." And that's exactly how it happened: After receiving a late call-up from coach Julian Nagelsmann two days before the start of Euro 2024, he came on as a substitute in the opening match and scored the last goal for his country in the 5-1 win against Scotland. "Instead of going on holiday, I'm now at my home European Championship, and I'm indescribably grateful for it."