Video: Nets’ Dennis Schröder Makes Pro Soccer Debut with 6th-Tier German Team

Andrew PetersMay 31, 2024

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Dennis Schröder is trading the hardwood for the pitch this offseason.

On Friday, the Brooklyn Nets point guard suited up for his professional soccer debut with FC Germania Bleckenstedt, a sixth-tier German soccer team.

Men in Blazers @MenInBlazersBasketball world champion Dennis Schroder played for a 6th-tier German football club this week. Good touch for a big man, too. 😅

As Schroder’s brother-in-law plays for FC Germania Bleckenstedt, he’s training with the team to keep fit before the Olympics. ⚽️🤝🏀

📸 IG/ds17_fg pic.twitter.com/DkZnHWd9gU

Schröder’s brother-in-law plays for FC Germania Bleckenstedt and got him connected to the club, and he’s using it as a way of conditioning ahead of this summer’s Olympics. Schröder was born in Braunschweig, Germany, and will represent the country in Paris in July.

According to NBA.com, Schröder grew up playing soccer before transitioning to basketball, so he’s not new to the pitch and can clearly hold his own if he’s getting playing time.

Schröder played 63 minutes as a left winger in the 5-1 loss to SC Göttingen 05, per Transfermarkt (h/t ESPN’s Anthony Gharib).

After the match, he posted on Instagram to say he wished his first game had gone better while also shouting out his brother-in-law.

“Not the result I wanted for my first ever official football game,” he wrote. “But [thanks] to my brother-in-law for making it happen.”

Schröder, who was traded to the Nets from the Toronto Raptors this season, averaged 14.0 points and 6.1 assists per game. Last year, he led Germany to a FIBA World Cup title over Serbia, earning FIBA World Cup MVP behind 17.9 points and 6.7 assists per game.

After getting some cross-training while playing soccer, he’ll look to lead Germany to glory again this summer in the Olympics.