Borussia Dortmund cult hero Mats Hummels has announced he will be departing the club - a day after boss Edin Terzic stepped down.
The news will come as a huge blow for Dortmund fans, with the 35-year-old enjoying two successful spells at Signal Iduna Park.
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Hummels will leave at the end of the month as a free agent, where he follows Terzic out the door amid reports of a heated bust-up between the two.
German news outlet BILD revealed the pair were involved in a fiery scandal in the build-up to the Champions League final, which Dortmund lost to Real Madrid in June.
But Hummels only had positive things to say about the Bundesliga giants in his farewell speech, as he praised the coaching staff as well as his adoring supporters.
Speaking to the club's website, he said: "Dear fans, my time in black and yellow is now coming to an end after a total of over 13 years.
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"It was a huge honour and joy for me to have played for BVB for so long and to have been part of the journey from 13th place in January 2008 to what Borussia Dortmund represents today.
"This club and its fans are something very special - and for me even more than that.
"I would also like to thank all BVB employees who do a great job for this club and of course the countless great coaches and fantastic teammates that I have had the pleasure of meeting here.
"I keep my fingers crossed that you will all meet up again at Borsigplatz as soon as possible to celebrate.
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"Until then, I will be cheering from afar and hopefully in the stadium from time to time. I will miss you."
Meanwhile Hummels' ex-teammate - and now BVB sporting director - Sebastian Kehl, added: "Without a doubt, we are losing an outstanding personality in Mats Hummels, perhaps one of the last of his kind in football.
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"During his career, Mats not only shaped BVB, but also raised the central defender game to a new level worldwide.
"He won titles with us, not least the first double in our club's history. In addition, Mats is a real guy who always challenges himself and others.
"I thank Mats for his passion, for his will to succeed, and also for his rough edges.
"Everyone at BVB wishes him all the best for his sporting and private future.
"Personally, I will always remain close to Mats, whom I have valued very much for many, many years."
Hummels initially joined Dortmund from Bayern Munich on loan in January 2008, with the club turning his temporary stay into a permanent switch.
Forming a formidable partnership with Neven Subotic, Hummels helped Dortmund win back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012, while also scooping the DFB-Pokal trophy that year.
He then helped Dortmund reach the Champions League final in 2013, where they lost 2-1 to Bayern at Wembley.
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After winning the 2014 World Cup with Germany, Hummels returned to the Allianz Arena, where he added three more league titles in as many years, along with a further German Cup.
In 2019, Dortmund brought him back to the club, where he once again became an instrumental member of their backline.
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And he added another DFB-Pokal triumph to his trophy cabinet in 2021, but he failed to add the European Cup to that, as he yet again was a losing finalist at Wembley two weeks ago.
In total, Hummels ends his Dortmund career with 38 goals in 508 games in all competitions, with only Michael Zorc playing more for the club [572 matches].