India, March 9 -- Julian Brandt is to leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season.

Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken told broadcaster Sky on Saturday that the club and player had agreed not to extend Brandt's contract, which expires at the end of the season.

Ricken was speaking after Brandt set up Maximilian Beier's goal in Dortmund's nervy 2-1 win at Cologne in the Bundesliga. "There have already been a few reports, and it's simply that there were open talks and everyone agreed that the expiring contract wouldn't be extended," Ricken said. "He played a few hundred games for Borussia Dortmund. I think we can only be grateful to him for playing with us for seven years. He was sometimes criticised, but even today, with his assis...