Who are the Bundesliga 2 captains for the 2024/25 season?
With one of the most open promotion races in recent Bundesliga 2 memory, who will captain each team is more important than ever.
The Bundesliga 2 and Bundesliga will also witness the introduction of a new 'captain's rule' which means only the man with the armband can discuss decisions with referees.
With all that considered, here's our overview of which 18 players will be leading their teams out for the new season.
Cologne have decided that a change in leadership is needed following the side’s relegation from the Bundesliga last season. Timo Hübers will replace Florian Kainz as captain as they look to make an instant return to the Bundesliga.
New head coach Gerhard Struber believes Hübers is a perfect fit for the role, saying: “It's no surprise that Timo will be our captain - it was clear. He's just a really good guy, a very intelligent lad who has experience and brings a lot to the job. I have a lot of faith in him.” Former captain Kainz will now become one of the team’s vice-captains alongside Mark Uth, Jan Thielmann and Eric Martel.
Despite relegation last season, Holland will be confident of heading straight back up, having been part of Darmstadt’s promoted sides in 2015 and 2023. The left-back, who can also play in midfield, will be taking part in his 10th season with the Lilies, having joined from Hertha Berlin back in 2014.
Holland quickly became integral to his new side, and in 2019 was named captain. Holland has played a whopping 208 games for SVD, putting him ninth in their all-time list, but he could approach the top five this season as a club legend.
Fortuna Düsseldorf: André Hoffmann
Another defensive general who organises from the back line and base of midfield, André Hoffmann led one of Germany’s great entertainers last season. Fortuna finished top scorers in Bundesliga 2 with a thrilling brand of football, but missed out on promotion by the narrowest of margins - with a penalty shoot-out defeat to Bochum in the relegation/promotion play-off.
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Hoffmann signed a new contract shortly before the campaign, but had to deal with multiple injuries throughout the season, but is still a crucial figure with 146 appearances and 10 goals since his signing from Hannover in 2017.
A born leader, Schonlau was already captain of Paderborn before arriving at Hamburg in 2021 and instantly picking up a new armband. The German defender impressed so much in pre-season that he took straight over from new teammate Tim Leibold and hasn’t looked back.
In the summer of 2023 Schonlau signed a new contract until 2026, and was praised by sporting director Claus Costa, who said: We’re so happy that ‘Bascho’ is staying with us. He has proven his importance to the club to everyone over the past two years – Sebastian fully deserves to be captain, and is a role model both on and off the pitch. It's a great sign that he's committed to our club and its philosophy."
Signed from Stuttgart in 2017 after just one appearance for their first team, Wanitzek would go on to correct that legacy in comprehensive fashion with a mammoth 239 appearances, and counting, for Karlsruher. In his second season the attacking midfielder helped the recently relegated KSC back up to the Bundesliga 2, and he’s been near ever-present since his arrival. Previously vice captain and one of the team’s leaders, it was no surprise that he took over the armband from Jerome Gondorf upon his teammate’s retirement this summer.
Hannover 96: Ron-Robert Zieler
In two separate stints, from 2010 to 2016 and again from 2019, Zieler has become as dependable as you can get, racking up 348 appearances for H96 and closing in on the top five for the two-time German champions. A former Manchester United academy prospect with six caps for Germany, Zieler was named captain in 2022 and will stay in his post as he continues to smash through the club’s record books at the age of 35.
Following Jannik Huth’s departure to Bundesliga side Freiburg, it has been decided that former Magdeburg midfielder Raphael Obermair will be the captain next season. David Kinsombi, who briefly took the honours Huth, is one of the vice-captains alongside Felix Götze, Adriano Grimaldi and Sebastian Klaas
Greuther Fürth: Branimir Hrgota
Forward Branimir Hrgota has been named as club captain for the upcoming season. The forward, formerly of Borussia Mönchengladbach and Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, will lead Alexander Zorniger’s side out next season as they look to build on last season's eighth place finish.
Toni Leistner has retained his role as Hertha’s captain, having captained the team last season too. The experienced defender has the trust of new head coach Cristian Fiél, who when explaining his decision, said: "He is a leader and a role model!"
Schalke lost not just a club great but a Bundesliga 2 legend in the summer as the division’s all-time top scorer, Simon Terodde, announced his retirement. Thankfully for the Royal Blues, they had an ideal deputy in Kenan Karaman who many would argue has been their best player since his arrival in 2022.
Explaining the decision, head coach Karel Geraerts said: "Kenan is clearly an important pillar of my team. He is very important to me, and he was last season too."
A former Germany youth international, Fellhauer arrived from Freiburg’s second team in 2019 and has made Elversberg his home. The team from Saarland have gone from the Regionalliga Südwest, to Liga 3 and now the Bundesliga 2 during his time at the club, making him a legend and a fitting captain.
New coach Miroslav Klose has chosen to change his side’s captain this season, handing the responsibilities over to Robin Knoche from Enrico Valentini.
The experienced Knoche joined Nuremberg from Bundesliga side Union Berlin, where he made 123 league appearances following his departure from Wolfsburg, where he had spent 13 years after joining their youth team in 2007. Knoche’s vice-captains this season will be midfielder Florian Flick and goalkeeper Jan Reichert.
Another new coach has also decided to change captains at Kaiserslautern, where Markus Anfang has decided to go with Marlon Ritter as his captain for the 2024-25 season rather Jean Zimmer.
Ritter, who has made 140 appearances for the side since joining from Paderborn in 2020, will head a leadership group of Kenny Prince Redondo, Daniel Hanslik, Tobias Raschl and Erik Wekesser, as selected by the team.
Following Amara Conde’s departure to Herenveen in Holland, goalkeeper Dominik Reimann as been selected as the side’s new captain by Christian Titz. The responsibility will not be new to Reimann however, as he has led the team out as captain before in Conde’s absence. Reimann’s vice-captain will be Marcus Mathisen who joined the club this summer from When Wiesbaden.
Eintracht Braunschweig: Ermin Bičakčić
Braunschweig’s experienced centre-back Ermin Bičakčić will lead them as captain next season. The Bosnia & Herzegovina regular has a wealth of Bundesliga experience with Hoffenheim and will now captain Eintracht with the help of deputies Sven Köhler, previous captain Jannis Nikolaou, Robin Krauße and Fabio Kaufmann.
Johannes Reichert led Ulm into the 2nd Bundesliga and will guide them through their return season with the armband. The experienced defender joined in 2016 from Kaiserslautern and has since racked up a mammoth 236 appearances from the back, becoming a club icon.
Veteran Marc Lorenz will be Preußen Münster’s captain again next season in the Bundesliga 2 having held the armband during the team’s promotion campaign. His vice-captain will be fellow defender Sebastian Mrowca.
Jahn Regensburg: Andreas Geipl
Midfielder Andreas Geipl will captain the team once again having done so in the previous season. While Geipl has maintained his position, the responsibilities of the leadership team have been placed on new shoulders with Benedikt Saller, Alexander Bittroff, Florian Ballas and Felix Gebhardt supporting Geipl in his role.
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