Surprising turnaround for Arminia striker Klos: “Leave our stadium lying on a stretcher – that can’t be it”

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Fabian Klos is carried off the field after his collision with a team-mate in the game against VfB Stuttgart in early April

Photo: Martin Rose/Getty Images

Extension instead of farewell: After a surprising turnaround, record goalscorer Fabian Klos has extended his contract with Bundesliga club Arminia Bielefeld by a year.

"I've almost started to clear out my locker," said the 34-year-old in a video shared by the club on social media: "But then I thought to myself: Leaving our stadium lying on a stretcher - that can't be it .

I'll go on for another year.«

Klos should actually be said goodbye to RB Leipzig after eleven years before the last game of the season on Saturday (3.30 p.m., live ticker SPIEGEL.de, TV: Sky).

His departure had already been announced in mid-February.

But since a serious head injury on April 2, the captain hasn't played.

He has now extended it to 2023.

"Life and football show us once again that some things can only be planned to a limited extent," said Klos: "From now on, my already special Arminia story is even more special."

The striker suffered a serious head injury in a violent collision with his team-mate Alessandro Schöpf in injury time in the Bundesliga game against VfB Stuttgart (1-1) and then underwent surgery.

recovery is still ongoing

Sports director Samir Arabi said that the decision had been made "that this should not be the end for him at Arminia.

After eleven years and his great merits, Fabian deserves an active farewell on the pitch in the DSC jersey.

After his serious injury, he still has a long way to go before he recovers, but we will support Fabian so that we can see him again for our club in the new season.«

In 2011 Klos switched from the 2nd team of VfL Wolfsburg to Arminia, which was still playing in the 3rd division at the time.

In the summer of 2020 he rose with the Bielefeld team and still made his debut in the first division.

Klos scored 162 goals in 389 competitive games for Bielefeld.

Arminia can only theoretically avert the eighth relegation from the Bundesliga.

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