"It actually happens in every game that we shout at each other once," Waldemar Anton recently revealed. But that is not a big problem for either him or Serhou Guirassy, after all both have known each other for "so long that we also tell each other what we think on the pitch, even if it might be a bit over the top sometimes", said the Borussia Dortmund defender.
Saturday night's 1-0 win over VfB Stuttgart gave Anton another reason to have a word with Guirassy. When the striker went off in the 74th minute, he took too long to leave the pitch, which meant substitute Fabio Silva had to wait 60 seconds before he was allowed on under the new rules. BVB had to play that brief spell a man short, and coach Niko Kovac made his displeasure with Guirassy's sluggish exit crystal clear.
Anton could therefore keep his focus on the job that matters most. Back at his former club, where fans still boo his every touch because of his sudden move to Dortmund two years ago, the 30-year-old had plenty to deal with. Yet once again, neither he nor his team were beaten.
GettyWaldemar Anton has a huge role in BVB's upturn
Defending has not been in short supply for Borussia's back line since Kovac took charge. He has now brought that side of the team close to perfection. Last year too, BVB had the best defence in the league with 34 goals conceded. After four matchdays this season, with three clean sheets on the board, the Westphalians sit top alongside Bayern Munich having let in just two goals.
On an individual level, Anton has played a huge part in that. After a complicated first season, when two muscle fibre tears in quick succession sidelined him for a longer spell than ever before in his career, he has grown into a "total constant" at BVB, as Kovac said about him months ago.
Kovac never misses a chance to praise his protégé, even if Anton himself does not care much for labels such as "defensive boss". Most recently, before the Champions League opener against Villarreal, Kovac said of Anton: "He is a leader. Someone who leads the way. He thinks, eats, sleeps, drinks football 24/7. Someone who supports his team-mates, never gives up and gives everything for the team - a role model."
Getty ImagesHow often did Waldemar Anton start for BVB in 2025/26?
Anton had already produced an excellent season the year before and looked more secure defensively than his partner Nico Schlotterbeck, who was injured at the start of this year as well. The "Ironman" (Kovac on Anton) showed that same reliability and consistency in the raw numbers too: Anton was unavailable for only three of 47 competitive matches in 2025/26. In the league and cup, he completed all 35 appearances in full.
Despite having among the shortest pre-season preparations of any Dortmund player because of his World Cup involvement with Germany, the 15-cap international has barely missed a beat. He has simply carried on where he left off, and he is doing it in outstanding form.
More than just his constant availability makes Anton so valuable. He leads by example through discipline, mentality and resilience. He plays without fuss, defends relentlessly and robustly, and is a warrior through and through. His anticipation has become an outstanding weapon. Since Mats Hummels, nobody at BVB has defended so intelligently and so effectively on the front foot as Anton.
Getty ImagesWaldemar Anton is currently the best German centre-back
The statistics back that up. In duel success rate, aerial duels won, and balls intercepted and cleared, Anton ranks among the best players in the league. He is vital to Dortmund's stability and has become one of the faces of the upturn under Kovac. On current form and in his present condition, there is no better German centre-back than Anton.
That makes it hard to imagine him not playing a decisive role in the national team's restart. Like Kovac, Germany coach Jürgen Klopp wants a style of football built on a rock-solid defence. Anton brings huge experience, is physically and mentally fully up to speed, organises the back line well and offers important support to younger players. They are exactly the qualities Klopp needs for his vision of the future DFB team.
Getty ImagesWhat role will Waldemar Anton play for the DFB under Jürgen Klopp?
One possible long-term drawback for Anton in the national team is Schlotterbeck's strong left foot and the excellent diagonal balls he brings in build-up play, which make him slightly more suited in that regard. But does it really need saying that Bayern's Jonathan Tah remains the established number one centre-back?
Little self-promotion is certain to come from Anton himself. Kovac once described him as "very calm, very modest, very humble": "Putting his own ego to one side and the team in the foreground - simply brilliant." Time will tell how Anton's competition for places develops in the Germany squad. At BVB, the current league leaders, he no longer has any such battle to fight.
Waldemar Anton: His performance data at BVB
Competitive matches | Goals | Assists |
93 | 6 | 4 |