Although to many in the mainstream, Borussia Dortmund are the club that just can’t help but keep coming short to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, fans of German football understand that Die Schwarzgelben are a powerhouse in their own right, even if they have been in another difficult period since losing Robert Lewandowski to their rivals for free.
Dortmund produce some of the world’s greatest footballers, with arguably the two best players on the planet right now, Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham, being BVB products.
However, Dortmund’s best teams have been about the collective rather than young superstars, with the sides from the late 90s and early 2010s standing out as some of the most special in European football over the last few decades.
Stars of those teams will be represented here, but there are so many wonderful footballers who couldn’t quite make the cut.
Players like Tomáš Rosický, Shinji Kagawa, Jürgen Kohler, Jan Koller, Robert Lewandowski, and Neven Subotić played important roles in the club’s history, but not everyone can be in the top 10.
10. Stéphane Chapuisat
One of the greatest Swiss players ever, Stéphane Chapuisat was the primary goal-scorer on that special Borussia Dortmund side that conquered a superstar-studded Juventus in the 1997 Champions League Final.
Chapuisat scored 123 goals with 64 assists for Dortmund over the years, finishing in the top 10 of the Ballon d’Or voting twice.
That’s quite the accomplishment, and Chapuisat deserves a shoutout on the list of the best-ever Dortmund players because of his goal-scoring, consistency, and professionalism.
9. Andreas Möller
A creative genius in midfield, Andreas Möller was a superstar playmaker for Dortmund in a long line of great players to provide goals and assists from this position in the club’s history. Möller was an indispensable part of the Dortmund side that won the Champions League in 1996/97, defeating his former team Juventus.
Möller scored and assisted nearly 90 times each for Dortmund in two stints, first playing for the Schwarzgelben from 1988 to 1990 and then later from 1994 to 2000.
His two-footed nature made him capable of slipping the decisive pass from any angle or scoring from any situation, as he banged home some wonderful goals in his heyday.
He would lead the league in assists twice and make the Bundesliga Team of the Season six times in his illustrious career, which also included spells at Eintracht Frankfurt and Schalke.
Despite leaving BVB for the Royal Blues in 2000, Möller still has to be respected as one of the best players in the history of Die Schwarzgelben.
8. Mats Hummels
Mats Hummels also shifted between rivals, first joining Dortmund from Bayern Munich’s academy, then leaving back for Bavaria during his peak in a move that helped weaken BVB’s grip at the top of the Bundesliga. Hummels would later return before the 2019/20 season when Dortmund tried to push Die Roten for the title, but they have still been unsuccessful.
At 34, Hummels has lost a step physically but is better than ever mentally and is still one of the best center backs in the Bundesliga.
Of course, nothing compares to the quality Hummels showed early in his career, breaking out as one of the best players in the world at any position for Dortmund in his first stint from 2009 to 2016.
Hummels and Neven Subotić formed a world-class center back partnership, nicknamed Kinder-Riegel after the candy bar, that was the foundation for Dortmund winning back the Bundesliga title under Jürgen Klopp.
Hummels’ athleticism, passing, quality on the ball, and defensive recognition have made him a key figure in the modern history of German football. They would not have won the 2014 World Cup without him.
7. Sebastian Kehl
Currently the sporting director, Sebastian Kehl was a key figure as a holding midfielder for Dortmund, briding a difficult era for the club with a renaissance that led to an appearance in another Champions League Final.
Kehl made 362 career appearances for Die Schwarzgelben from 2002 to 2015, winning the Bundesliga three times and making the league’s Team of the Season twice.
What makes Kehl so important in Dortmund’s history is his leadership. A top professional and willing defensive presence, Kehl solidified the squad and would have won more accolades if he didn’t stick it through one of BVB’s least successful eras in the 2000s before Klopp’s arrival.
6. Dedê
Dedê is one of the greatest left backs in the history of the Bundesliga and easily one of the most consistent and accomplished players to don the Black and Yellow kit of Dortmund.
From 1998 to 2011, Dedê made over 400 appearances for Dortmund and became a key leader for the club.
Though his time came between the Champions League Final appearances, Dedê did everything he could to make sure Dortmund’s standards never slipped too far, and he was a part of a pair of Bundesliga-winning sides.
A strong defender in one-on-ones and a tireless carrier of the ball, Dedê recorded 55 assists despite primarily being a left back. He even had a career-high nine assists in the 2007/08 season, which was BVB’s worst in the Bundesliga with a 13th-placed finish.
5. Roman Weidenfeller
The greatest goalkeeper in the history of Dortmund and one of the best German goalkeepers of the last two decades, Roman Weidenfeller was yet another stabilizing presence in the squad and a part of both a difficult and highly successful era in the club’s history.
Weidenfeller never left Dortmund after joining the club in 2002 from another historic Bundesliga side, Kaiserslautern, that, on the other hand, was never able to recover after faltering financially.
The top-class goalkeeper played 16 seasons for Die Schwarzgelben, saving 74.4 percent of the shots he faced in that time span. That speaks to Weidenfeller’s level of consistency.
He even had a save percentage over 82 percent in 2010/11, allowing fewer than 0.70 goals per 90 in both the 10/11 and 11/12 seasons.
A tremendous leader and keeper, Weidenfeller stepping down as the starter upon Roman Bürki’s arrival helped mark a true end of an era for the Black and Yellows.
4. Lars Ricken
The beloved Lars Ricken played a crucial role in that fabled 1997 Champions League triumph over the Bianconeri. Ricken made over 400 appearances for Die Schwarzgelben, nearly scoring and assisting 70 times for the club.
He never played for a club other than Dortmund between 1993 and 2007, providing an undeniable level of quality and consistency from midfield. Ricken was a playmaker and workhorse in the middle of the park for the club.
3. Matthias Sammer
Matthias Sammer is the only player in Dortmund’s history to have won the Ballon d’Or.
The defensive midfielder and sweeper may have only spent a handful of seasons for Dortmund from 1993 to 1998, but, goodness, did he make those years count. BVB would not have won the Champions League without the iconic German defender.
You wonder where Sammer would rank among the best defenders in history if it weren’t for injuries, as they were the only blemish holding back the player from an even greater career.
Sammer really made his presence felt as a leader for Dortmund, elevating the club with his presence and reading of the game.
2. Michael Zorc
Marco Reus is Borussia Dortmund and so is Michael Zorc.
The man is the biggest legend in the history of Dortmund both as a player and as the sporting director who helped build Jürgen Klopp that squad that returned BVB to the summit of German – and European – football.
Zorc has made more appearances than any player in Dortmund’s history, scoring over 150 goals.
He is a two-time Bundesliga champion and was a part of the team that won the 1996/97 Champions League title. From 1981 to 1998, Zorc helped lead the way for Die Schwarzgelben, joining Lars Ricken as another beloved one-club man.
1. Marco Reus
Another great leader and world-class player in Dortmund’s history, Marco Reus has frustratingly never won the Bundesliga or Champions League despite his best efforts.
He’s always been let down in the end by the situation around him, though he has done everything possible to lead Dortmund to victory as a goal-scorer, playmaker, and leader.
Reus was the most explosive winger in German football before injuries turned him into its most accomplished No. 10, surpassing Mesut Özil after the latter’s decline. Despite all the injuries, Reus is still one of the best players in the Bundesliga – when he’s on the pitch – at the age of 34.
The German international has reached double-digit goals in five different seasons for Die Schwarzgelben, as well as double-digit assists on two occasions.
His expert technical prowess and vision have been at the heart of Dortmund, and without his chance-creation and ability to recycle possession, BVB have often struggled in recent seasons.
Loved by all and the FIFA 17 cover star to break up the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo monotony, Reus’ career should be summed up by the positives and not by the heartbreak.
He watched as so many stars left the club, such as close friend Robert Lewandowski, and then watched as they rejoined in later years (Mario Götze and Mats Hummels).
Yet despite overtures from Barcelona and even Bayern Munich, Reus never left the club of his childhood, even as they rejected him in his academy days for being too small.
