Roman Weidenfeller

2.2.1. Rise to prominence and championships

Weidenfeller quickly established himself as a consistently stable and reliable goalkeeper for Borussia Dortmund, earning a reputation for his strong performances and excellent ability to save penalties. He played an instrumental role in the club's resurgence under manager Jürgen Klopp.

His contributions led to remarkable success, with Dortmund winning the Bundesliga in two consecutive seasons: 2010-11 and 2011-12. In the decisive 2011-12 Bundesliga match, he notably saved a penalty from Arjen Robben, helping secure the title. This historic season also saw Dortmund achieve a domestic double by winning the DFB-Pokal in 2012. During the 2012 DFB-Pokal Final, Weidenfeller was substituted in the 33rd minute after a collision with Mario Gómez; his team ultimately defeated Bayern Munich 5-2. On July 27, 2013, he further contributed to Dortmund's trophy cabinet by winning the 2013 DFL-Supercup with a 4-2 victory against rivals Bayern Munich.

Throughout his extensive tenure at Dortmund, Weidenfeller also helped the club achieve numerous other notable results. These included three Bundesliga runner-up finishes (in the 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2015-16 seasons) and two third-place finishes (in 2002-03 and 2016-17). He also reached the DFB-Pokal final on four additional occasions (in 2007-08, 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16), was a runner-up in the 2003 DFB-Ligapokal, and finished as a runner-up in the DFL-Supercup four times (in 2011, 2012, 2016, and 2017). A major highlight of his career was reaching the UEFA Champions League final in 2013, although Dortmund ultimately finished as runners-up to Bayern Munich.

2.2.2. Injury and controversy

Weidenfeller's playing career was not without significant challenges, including notable injuries and a well-publicized controversy. In 2005, he underwent surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee, an injury sustained during a training session, which sidelined him for several months.

A more significant incident occurred early in the 2007-08 season. In August 2007, the German Football Federation imposed a three-match ban and a fine of 10.00 K EUR on Weidenfeller for racist insults he directed at FC Schalke 04 striker Gerald Asamoah. The incident took place during a match on August 18, 2007, following a confrontation between the two players in the 51st minute. While Weidenfeller later issued an apology to Asamoah in response to media reports, he maintained that he had not made the specific racist statement attributed to him. This event drew attention to the issue of racism in football and resulted in disciplinary action against him. Later that same season, he was unable to participate in the 2008 DFB-Pokal Final due to a partial tear of the medial ligament in his right knee, with Marc Ziegler stepping in as his replacement in a match Dortmund lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich.

2.2.3. Later career and retirement

On May 6, 2013, Weidenfeller extended his contract with Borussia Dortmund, committing to the club until 2016. However, following the departure of manager Jürgen Klopp at the close of the 2014-15 season, new manager Thomas Tuchel opted to name recently signed Roman Bürki as the first-choice goalkeeper. Despite this change, Weidenfeller continued to feature prominently in the club's European matches.

Weidenfeller demonstrated his continued loyalty to Dortmund by signing another one-year deal in February 2016, extending his stay until 2017, and then a further extension until 2018 in May 2017. At the conclusion of the 2017-18 season, having made 453 official appearances for the club, conceding 510 goals and keeping 148 clean sheets, Roman Weidenfeller officially retired from professional football. His final professional appearance was as a substitute for Bürki. His retirement was commemorated with a farewell match on September 7, 2018, held at Signal Iduna Park (Westfalenstadion), where a team dubbed "Roman & Friends" played against "BVB All Stars." Weidenfeller notably scored two goals during this celebratory match.