Kevin Volland has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 33, closing a 16-year chapter that encompassed standout spells in the Bundesliga and Ligue 1.
The forward’s journey came full circle at 1860 Munich, the club where his professional career began. He returned to the Bavarian outfit last summer hoping to bolster their attack in the 3. Liga, yet the campaign proved disastrous. The club was plunged into insolvency and subsequently demoted to the Regionalliga, Germany’s fourth tier. These traumatic circumstances played a decisive role in Volland’s decision to hang up his boots.
Speaking to the Allgäuer Zeitung, Volland admitted that the turbulent season had extinguished his enthusiasm for the sport. “Too much has happened in the last year. At some point, the fun got left behind,” he said.
Leverkusen and Beyond
Volland’s most prolific period arrived during his four-year stay at Bayer Leverkusen between 2016 and 2020. He scored 44 Bundesliga goals for Die Werkself, establishing himself as one of the division’s most consistent strikers. Earlier in his career, he developed his reputation during a successful spell at Hoffenheim, while a subsequent move to Monaco added an international dimension to his résumé.
Return to Roots
Although his professional days are over, Volland will not abandon the game entirely. He is set to join FC Thalhofen, his hometown club, where he will line up alongside his brother Robin in a significantly lower division.
In a farewell video shared by 1860 Munich on Instagram, Volland offered a reflective goodbye. “Sometimes you have to make a decision that’s not easy for you personally,” he stated. “Sometimes the end of your career is at the door, as it is for me now. Thank you for 16 great years. It was a pleasure, and I will miss it enormously.”