Emre Can was born in Frankfurt to Turkish parents and came through Eintracht Frankfurt’s and then Bayern Munich’s youth systems. After a season at Bayer Leverkusen, he joined Liverpool in 2014, where he played in the 2016 Europa League final and the 2018 Champions League final run.
He moved to Juventus in 2018 and won Serie A, before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2020. Can has since become a leader in the Dortmund dressing room and club captain, playing in midfield or central defence.
He won the DFB-Pokal with Dortmund in 2021 and was a late addition to Germany’s Euro 2024 squad.
Playing style
Can is a versatile, physically imposing player who has played as a defensive midfielder, central midfielder and centre-back. He is strong in the tackle, good in the air and comfortable on the ball, with a powerful shot from distance. His competitive spirit is one of his defining traits: he plays with intensity and demands the same from team-mates. At Dortmund he has become captain, leading by example in a squad that has often relied on young players. His penalty-taking and experience in big games are also valuable.
International career
Can made his Germany debut in 2015 and was part of the squad at Euro 2016, where Germany reached the semi-finals. After several years out of the national team, he was a late addition to the Euro 2024 squad on home soil, replacing the ill Aleksandar PavloviΔ, and played in the tournament.
Career in numbers
Across 14 seasons of senior club football, beginning in 2012/13, Can has played 477 matches and scored 46 goals for 5 clubs. His best scoring return came in 2024/25: 6 goals in 45 appearances for Borussia Dortmund. His busiest campaign was 2015/16, with 49 appearances. The full season-by-season record is in the Stats section of this profile.