Dortmund 2012/13 Home Jersey #18 Şahin

NURI ŞAHIN #18 — 2012/13 RETURN TO DORTMUND

Nuri Şahin returned to Borussia Dortmund in January 2013, reclaiming the No.18 shirt during the second half of the 2012/13 season. The Turkish midfielder was already deeply connected with the club, having developed through Dortmund’s youth system and played a central role in Jürgen Klopp’s 2010/11 Bundesliga title-winning side before leaving for Real Madrid in 2011. His return, on an 18-month loan from Madrid after a spell with Liverpool, was therefore more than a mid-season transfer — it marked the homecoming of one of Dortmund’s most celebrated academy graduates.

Şahin made his Bundesliga return in the 5–0 victory away to Werder Bremen in January, coming on late in the match. As the season progressed, he worked his way back into Klopp’s squad and contributed during Dortmund’s run-in, including scoring in a 2–1 Bundesliga victory over Fortuna Düsseldorf in April.

His situation makes the ŞAHIN 18 printing particularly interesting historically. Unlike players who had worn Dortmund’s 2012/13 shirt from the beginning of the campaign, Şahin only wore it following his January homecoming. The printing therefore captures a very specific chapter of the season: the return of a homegrown midfielder to the club where he had established his reputation.

For collectors, ŞAHIN 18 is a distinctive player choice for Dortmund’s 2012/13 home shirt, representing not simply that season, but one of its most meaningful mid-season returns.