Waldemar Anton

Waldemar Anton has been with BVB since 2024. A few days before his 28th birthday, he signed a four-year contract. “I didn't originally plan to change clubs – but then Borussia Dortmund came in for me. A top club that had just reached the Champions League final. From the very beginning, everyone at BVB gave me the feeling that they absolutely wanted to sign me and that I can and should play an important role. I was really excited about that,” said the defender.

In 2024/25, he was the strongest tackler in his team, winning 62 percent of duels. Anton twice prevented a goal at the last moment (only Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba and Bochum's Ivan Ordets managed one more), he was very active in the build-up play, with an average of 101 touches per 90 minutes, and an attacking threat at set pieces. Only his teammate Serhou Guirassy and Bremen’s Jens Stage scored more often from corners. “I hate to lose, and I love to win,” he says about himself: “I'm the type of guy who really does everything to win a game.”

Waldemar Anton was born Wladimir Anton on 20 July 1996 in Olmaliq in the former Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan. His parents are Russian Germans, who moved to Hanover with their son in 1998 as late repatriates. Waldemar, who was barely able to speak German when he started kindergarten, attended grammar school and successfully passed the Abitur exam (German A-level equivalent), specialising in mathematics and biology.

At the age of seven, he played club football for the first time at Mühlenberger SV. In 2008, at the age of 12, he moved to the youth academy of Hannover 96. In the summer of 2018, he was appointed captain by head coach André Breitenreiter, making him the youngest captain in the Bundesliga shortly after his 22nd birthday. In 2020, he moved to VfB Stuttgart, where he quickly became the undisputed leader in the defence and took over the role of captain in 2023. “Anton, the defensive tower” (as Stuttgarter Nachrichten referred to him) played a big part in his team impressive season, finishing in second place in the table.

In March 2024, Waldemar Anton made his debut in the German national football team in an international friendly against France. He was also a member of the squad at the Euros and came on in extra time in the quarter-final against Spain. With the U21s, he was a late call-up to the squad for the Euros in 2021 but did not get any game time for the tournament winners.