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- The 28-year-old returned to training unrecognisable after dramatic weight loss
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Borussia Dortmund defender Niklas Sule has undergone a dramatic transformation just over a month after drawing criticism for his weight.
The 28-year-old went viral on social media after appearing to be out of shape in the build up to the Champions League final against Real Madrid in May.
As reported by Bild, Sule was told by Dortmund’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl and managing director Lars Ricken that he has to work hard on his weight if he’s to get another chance at the club.
He went on holiday with a fitness trainer to get back in shape and has since undergone an impressive transformation having lost eight kilograms.
Sule now looks much leaner and his new look was on display when reported to both Kehl and Ricken on the first day of pre-season training this week.
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Sule was previously criticised by former Germany international Markus Babbel for appearing overweight.
Babbel was the manager of Hoffenheim in 2012 when Sule was a youth player at the club.
Former Liverpool player Babbel claimed that Sule ate pizza and kebabs too often.
Speaking in October last year, Babbel told Sport1: ‘Sule is good, but just not very good.
‘I think he has problems with having the discipline to do everything properly. When you carry three or four kilos more with you, you notice it at this level.
‘There was also the topic of eating pizza six times a week and kebab eight times. That doesn’t work.
‘That doesn’t mean he shouldn’t do it at all. Sometimes you need a treat, that’s all OK. But you can’t do that every day.’
Sule has made 72 appearances for Dortmund since he joined the club in 2022.
He previously played for Bayern Munich, having signed from Hoffenheim in 2017.