From Robert Lewandowski to Mario Gotze - Meet the players who played for both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund

Players who played for both Bayern and Dortmund
GOAL
Players who have represented both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

A rivalry between two of the biggest clubs in Germany, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have given football fans some incredible memories to cherish.

Every rivalry is defined by the players who feature for the teams, and in the case of Bayern and Dortmund, a lot of greats ended up playing for both teams in their careers.

Want to know who these players are?

GOAL takes a look!

  1. Michael Rummenigge
    imago

    Michael Rummenigge

    One of the great Germany attackers of the 1980s, Michael Rummenigge joined Bayern Munich in 1982 and went on to achieve legendary status at the club, scoring 44 goals in 152 appearances.

    He then joined Borussia Dortmund in 1988 and played 157 games for them, scoring 36 goals. Rummenigge remains one of the few players who played more than 150 games for both German clubs.

    He won three Bundesliga titles with Bayern, among multiple other trophies. At Dortmund, Rummenigge won the DFB Pokal and DFL Super Cup.

  2. Jurgen Kohler
    Getty Images

    Jurgen Kohler

    German centre-back Jurgen Kohler joined Bayern Munich from Koln in 1989 and played for two seasons there, winning a Bundesliga title and the German Super Cup.

    In 1991, he moved to Italy with Juventus, making over a century of appearances for the Italian giants until 1995, before returning to Germany with Borussia Dortmund.

    Kohler was part of Dortmund's golden generation as he featured for them in 191 games over seven years, winning two Bundesliga titles and a Champions League trophy, among other accolades!

  3. Torsten Frings
    Getty Images

    Torsten Frings

    Mainly known for his time with Werder Bremen, Torsten Frings actually featured for both Bayern and Dortmund in his career.

    He spent two seasons at Dortmund before a solitary campaign with Bayern, making 76 appearances in total for both clubs and scoring some absolute world class long range goals in his time there.

    Frings won the Bundesliga with Bayern in the 2004-05 season. He then went on to make over 150 appearances for Bremen.

  4. Christian Nerlinger
    Getty Images

    Christian Nerlinger

    Graduating from Bayern Munich's academy, Christian Nerlinger made his senior debut for the club in 1992. He played for six years in Bavaria, making 156 appearances.

    In 1998, the combative midfielder joined Borussia Dortmund and featured for them for three years, making 59 appearances.

    At Bayern, Nerlinger won two Bundesliga titles and a UEFA Cup among other accolades, however, he didn't manage to win silverware during his stint at Dortmund.

  5. Stefan Reuter
    Getty Images

    Stefan Reuter

    A versatile centre-back who could also play in defensive midfield, Stefan Reuter started his career at Numberg before being signed by Bayern in 1988.

    Over his three-season stint in Bavaria, Reuter made 95 appearances, winning two Bundesliga titles and a Super Cup before moving to Borussia Dortmund.

    It is at Dortmund that Reuter attained legendary status with over 300 appearances.

    He played a significant part in Dortmund's iconic team of the 1990s, which won three Bundesliga titles, two Super Cups and a Champions League, among other accolades.

  6. Mats Hummels
    Getty

    Mats Hummels

    A story of returns and reunions with both clubs, Mats Hummels graduated from Bayern's academy and made just one senior appearance before joining Borussia Dortmund on loan in 2008.

    Dortmund signed him permanently for €4.2 million in 2009 and the centre-back went on to make over 200 appearances for them over the next seven years.

    Bayern decided to reunite with their former player, signing Hummels for €35m in 2016. Over the next three years, the German defender made 74 appearances for the Bavarians, before Dortmund brought him back home for a €30.50m fee.

    Hummels has won silverware with both clubs.

  7. Mario Gotze

    Mario Gotze

    Gotze made a name for himself at Borussia Dortmund, rising up through the ranks of their academy before making 83 senior appearances for them and winning two Bundesliga titles among other domestic trophies. He also played a huge role in their run to the Champions League final in the 2012-13 season.

    In 2013, Bayern spent big on him, signing him for a €37 million fee.

    Over the next three seasons, Gotze made just 73 appearances for the Bavarians, but won seven trophies before returning to Dortmund for €22m in 2016.

    The German maestro, who scored the winning goal for Germany in the 2014 World Cup final, moved to PSV in 2020 before joining Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022.

  8. Thomas Helmer
    Getty Images

    Thomas Helmer

    Helmer started out at Borussia Dortmund in 1986 and over the next six years, the defender established himself as the club captain.

    He led them to win the DFB Pokal in the 1988-89 season followed by winning the DFL Super Cup in 1989.

    After making 190 appearances for Dortmund over six years, he joined Bayern Munich in 1992 and spent seven years in Bavaria.

    The 1996 Euro Championship winner with Germany made 191 appearances for Bayern, winning eight trophies.

  9. Robert Lewandowski
    Getty Images

    Robert Lewandowski

    One of the unluckiest players to have never won a Ballon d'Or, Robert Lewandowski came to prominence at Borussia Dortmund after arriving in 2010.

    He scored 74 goals in 131 appearances for them, winning four trophies and helping Dortmund reach the 2012-13 Champions League final.

    Lewandowski joined Bayern in 2014 and went on to establish himself as one of the greatest strikers in the world, scoring an incredible 238 goals in 253 appearances and winning 19 trophies and numerous individual awards.

    Poland's record international goal scorer moved to Barcelona in 2022.

  10. The rest - From Robert Kovac to Niklas Sule
    Getty

    The rest - From Robert Kovac to Niklas Sule

    Emre Can began his senior career at Bayern Munich where he majorly featured for their reserve team. After making just four appearances for their senior team, he moved to Bayer Leverkusen for one season before joining Liverpool in 2014. Juventus came calling in 2018, and after two seasons in Turin, Can joined Dortmund in 2020.

    Croatian defender Robert Kovac made a name for himself in Germany when it came to tough tackling and physical strength. After a successful spell with Leverkusen, Bayern Munich signed him in 2001. He left for Juventus in 2005 after making 94 appearances for the Bavarians. However, he returned to Germany with Borussia Dortmund in 2007 and played for them for a season.

    After graduating from Hoffenheim's academy, Niklas Sule made over 100 appearances for their senior team before joining Bayern Munich in 2017. The centre-back also crossed a century of appearances for the Bavarians before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2022 on a free transfer.

    Bayern Munich signed Sebastian Rode from Eintracht Frankfurt for free in 2014. He made 38 appearances for them before joining Dortmund in 2016. However, he couldn't establish himself at the club and returned to Frankfurt in 2019.

    German striker Jurgen Wegmann initially joined Dortmund in 1984 and stayed there for two years, scoring 25 goals in 70 games before joining Schalke in 1986. A year later, he joined Bayern and made 58 appearances for them over two seasons, scoring 26 goals. In 1989, he returned to Dortmund for a second spell.

    After not being able to make a single senior appearance for Bayern, Burkhard Segler became one of Borussia Dortmund's greatest players, making 146 appearances for them, scoring 27 goals between 1973 and 1979.