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Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller has signed a contract extension with the club till 2016.
Mario Gotze‘s decision to join Bayern Munich at the end of the season had plummeted the morale around the club but this news will provide the German side some boost ahead of their Champions League final clash.
The 32-year-old, who joined the club in 2002, has admitted that the thought of joining some other club never crossed his mind.
“Transferring to another club had never crossed my mind. What has grown here at Dortmund over the past few years is a uniquely positive football story which I want to play a big part in writing in the years to come.
“I am proud to be part of this strong-willed side which is a homogenous mixture of young and experienced players.”
Weidenfeller has made close to 300 appearances for the club and the club’s director of sport, Michael Zorc, expressed his pleasure at the news. He said:
“We are really pleased that Roman has committed to us. He is an extraordinarily strong goalkeeper who has shown constantly top performances and made a major contribution to us winning the German titles in 2011 and 2012, as well as reaching the final of the Champions League this season.”
Borussia Dortmund has earned reputation as a selling club and the loss of Shinji Kagawa and Mario Gotze in two successive years has prompted the club to extend the contracts of its other prominent players. Meanwhile, Ajax playmaker Cristian Eriksen has expressed his desire to join the German club this summer. The 21-year-old can be seen as a direct replacement to the departing Gotze. Speaking to the media following Ajax’s title win, Eriksen said:
“Borussia Dortmund? That would not be a bad option. We met them twice with Ajax and lost both games. Dortmund would be nice.
“I have not heard anything concrete from my agent, but I would be up for it if a nice opportunity came up. If no club makes an offer, I will sign a new deal as I want Ajax to make some money on me. I have not thought about it that I might have played my last home game for Ajax.”
