Sheffield Wednesday’s manager, Danny Röhl, has confirmed the club will not be following up their interest in the defender Nico Schulz after an outcry from a fans’ group.
Schulz, who had spent time training with Wednesday, appeared in court last month charged with assaulting his former partner on three separate occasions in 2020.
The former Germany and Borussia Dortmund left-back was ordered to donate more than £128,000 to five charity organisations over a three-month period for the case to be discontinued after his ex-partner reportedly refused to testify.
An open letter to Röhl was posted on social media by the Sheffield Wednesday Women’s Supporters Group in which he was urged not to sign the player. And the German coach confirmed after Tuesday’s win over Plymouth that he would not be pursuing a deal for the 30-year-old, who is without a club.
Röhl told the Sheffield-based newspaper The Star: “I would not normally speak after a game about a player who is not here, that’s not in my mind, but I have made a final decision … I’ve said before with transfers that I always look to the whole picture, and that was the same in this case.
“I’m very happy with my team here, I know Kristian Pedersen will come back soon, and that’s the reason why I will stay with my squad … Nico Schulz will not be coming.”